Overview
- Over the summer, roughly 30 beluga whales and four dolphins were moved from the closed Marineland in Niagara Falls to a consortium of accredited aquariums in the United States and Spain to avoid euthanasia.
- Five animals have died since the transfers, including three belugas at Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium and a bottlenose dolphin, Echo, that died at Oceanogràfic València after showing swallowing and respiratory problems.
- Shedd released preliminary necropsy findings on Sept. 25 that found chronic inflammatory disease in the gastrointestinal tracts of two rescued belugas and said those conditions likely began before transfer while tests for infectious causes continue.
- Oceanogràfic and pathology partners are conducting necropsies on Echo and the beluga Jelly Bean and have said specialized lab testing is ongoing to determine causes of death.
- The deaths have intensified questions about vet clearances, transport procedures and regulatory decisions after veterinarians at recipient parks cleared the animals and Canada’s fisheries minister approved moves to U.S. and Spanish facilities rather than to China.