Listen to this article
Estimated 2 minutes
The audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results.
A California aquarium says a beluga rescued from Marineland in Ontario has died, adding to the number of deaths of animals relocated over the summer from the now-closed Canadian facility.
SeaWorld San Diego said in a Facebook post that Cyprus, a nine-year-old male beluga that arrived at the park on Aug. 22, stopped eating on Friday, and an ultrasound later determined the animal’s intestinal tract did not appear to be functioning normally.
It said Cyprus had been doing well since his arrival, eating consistently and interacting with his trainers and animal care team, along with two other rescued belugas.
But it said belugas can mask discomfort or underlying concerns that are not immediately visible, adding that a full necropsy will be conducted.
Marineland in Niagara Falls, Ont., had said it was running out of money and could no longer care for the last captive whales and dolphins in Canada, and 30 of its belugas and four dolphins were transferred to other facilities in a mass relocation effort.
Marineland transported 34 of its remaining belugas and dolphins to aquariums in the U.S. and Spain over the summer to spare them from euthanasia. But four belugas and one dolphin have since died in their new homes. On Friday, Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium released post-mortem details around the deaths of two belugas, indicating the whales were already sick with ‘significant gastrointestinal disease.’ Necropsy results are still being processed for the other dead animals. CBC News reached out to Marineland for comment but didn’t hear back at the time of publication.
CBC’s Puneet Nijjar explains how the animals got to this point and what scientists suggest could have led to their early deaths.
SeaWorld San Diego said the other rescued belugas in its care are in stable health and remain under close monitoring as they continue to adjust to their surroundings.
“As we have indicated, this process will take a considerable amount of time. Our commitment to the health, well-being and care of these belugas, like every animal we rescue, continues,” the facility said in its social media post on Sunday.
It said that after the necropsy is completed, the cause of Cyprus’s death will be shared with the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Less than two weeks ago, Shedd Aquarium in Chicago said Caspian, a 27-year-old female beluga that was relocated from Marineland, died despite efforts to save her. Caspian had not been eating properly, and blood samples showed abnormalities in her electrolyte levels, Shedd said.
The aquarium said it performed necropsies on Peekachu and Rain, two other Marineland whales that died there, and concluded that they had chronic, pre-existing diseases.
A beluga named Jelly Bean and a dolphin named Echo also died at Oceanografic Valencia in Spain after the move.
