In a heartbreaking update, the Shedd Aquarium has announced that one of the beluga whales rescued by the Chicago facility as part an international effort suddenly passed away.
“We are deeply and profoundly saddened to share the loss of Peekachu – a 23-year-old female beluga whale recently rescued by Shedd Aquarium as part of an international rescue effort,” the aquarium announced Wednesday.
Peekachu was part of the most recent pod of whales to be rescued by the Shedd earlier this month from the shuttered Marineland of Canada. She was joined by 27-year-old Caspian, 22-year-old Secord and 20-year-old Rain.
Her rescue followed a similar operation that took place in late July after Ottawa authorities approved a plan to move several whales from the closed park to multiple facilities in the United States and one in Spain, an alternative to potentially euthanizing the 30 belugas left behind when the park closed last year.
In total, eight whales were brought to the Shedd.
But Peekachu was “unique,” the Shedd said.
“She was blind in one eye and one of the smaller whales. Despite what could have been a limitation, Peekachu had little trouble socializing and finding her way around a new habitat,” the Shedd said. “In the days that followed the rescue, Peekachu showed early signs of progress as she ate squid, herring and capelin from caretakers and checked out the care team from the underwater windows as they monitored the progress of the rescues.”
But recent blood samples showed concerns that Peekachu was “dehydrated and needed supportive care.”
“On Tuesday evening, as teams worked to provide her with medicine and fluids, Peekachu passed away suddenly,” the aquarium said. “While it’s frustrating not to know more specific answers to her passing now, a necropsy report may provide a better understanding of Peekachu’s overall health before she passed and what might have led to her death. We are committed to sharing an update as soon as we have one.”
The Shedd said while they knew the rescue would be difficult for the animals, they continue to monitor the others.
“Losing any animal is immensely difficult. From the outset of this rescue, we understood each animal would be navigating a significant transition and that their complete health picture, including conditions that may have developed over time, could only become clearer through ongoing assessment and care. We cannot emphasize enough that rescue is a step-by-step process for these whales, and that we truly are on a day-by-day basis in relation to their care and wellbeing,” the Shedd wrote. “As we do so, we continue to try and learn as much as we can. We remain guarded but hopeful about their condition as we continue monitoring them around the clock. While our time with Peekachu was shorter than any of us hoped, she made an immediate and lasting impression on all of us who had the chance to meet her. She is emblematic of our belief that every life matters, and she will be greatly missed.”
Read their full message here.
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