The whale has been stuck in the freshwater lock at St-Pierre-La-Garenne, about 45 miles northwest of Paris, since August 2. His health deteriorated after he refused food, according to wildlife groups monitoring the situation.
It took more than 80 rescue workers six hours to get the animal out of the lock, Portal reported, after which it was placed on a barge where it was medically examined.
However, scientists were concerned about the animal’s “alarming” weight loss and had to euthanize it soon after. His death was confirmed in a video message by Essonne Department Fire and Rescue Service officials.
“During the trip, the vets noted a deterioration in its condition, particularly its respiratory activity, and we could see that the animal was in anoxia – that is, insufficiently ventilated – so this animal was obviously suffering and we decided that there was no point in releasing it.” , and so we had to proceed with his euthanasia,” said Florence Ollivet-Courtois, a veterinarian with the Fire and Rescue Service.
Veterinarians had previously hoped the whale could be transported to Normandy and eventually released into the sea.
According to Portal, it weighed about 800 kilograms (1,764 pounds) but should have been about 1,200 kilograms (2,646 pounds).
The natural habitat of the belugas is in the arctic and subarctic regions. Although the best-known population is found in the St. Lawrence Estuary in Quebec, Canada, the closest to the French coast is in Svalbard, an archipelago in northern Norway about 1,900 miles from the Seine.
No one knows how the beluga lost its way, but the loss of sea ice in Arctic waters opens the area to more shipping, fishing and other human activities, affecting the whales’ ability to communicate and navigate, WWF says. The search for food and a partner is also becoming increasingly difficult for the species.
In recent years, many species of marine mammals have been reported in France, far from their main habitat. Possible reasons could include health status, age, social isolation and environmental conditions, according to the French Pelagis Observatory, which specializes in studying marine mammals.
CNN’s Angela Dewan contributed to this story.