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CHICAGO - Chicago's Shedd Aquarium says some of its rescued beluga whales are showing signs of improvement, while others continue to face health concerns following the recent deaths of three whales.
Health update on belugas at Shedd Aquarium
The backstory:
Shedd Aquarium released the update Friday evening, two days after two beluga whales died while in its care: Rain, a 20-year-old rescue from the closed Marineland marine park in Ontario, Canada, and Beethoven, a 34-year-old resident beluga.
About a week earlier, Peekachu, another rescued beluga from Marineland, also died.
The causes of all three deaths have not been determined.
The aquarium said it is still awaiting results from laboratory tests and other analyses related to the recent losses, but shared an update on the condition of its remaining beluga population.
Current health of belugas
As of Friday, Shedd said some of the rescued belugas from Marineland are showing "more encouraging signs than others," while several have also presented "clinical concerns." The aquarium said the whales' conditions can change quickly.
"None are yet where we want them to be from a health standpoint. We remain unwavering in our commitment to their care. When we agreed to rescue these animals from the threat of euthanasia, we knew there would be challenges and that they would require intensive, individualized care and close monitoring as they adjusted to this significant transition," the Shedd said in part.
The aquarium said the belugas' health can change "day to day, and at times, hour to hour," and staff are prepared to adapt their care as needed.
What they are monitoring
Shedd said its veterinary and animal care teams are closely monitoring the belugas' hydration.
The whales receive most of the water their bodies need through the fish they eat.
"Because of that, tracking exactly how much each whale eats gives our teams an important, non-invasive way to understand fluid intake and calculate hydration levels," the Shedd said. "During this transition, some of the rescued belugas are eating consistently and robustly. Others are not yet eating as regularly. By carefully tracking food and fluid intake, our teams can recognize changes quickly and determine when additional supportive care may be needed."
The aquarium is also monitoring breathing rates, swimming patterns, social interactions and other behaviors.
"Belugas are highly social and behaviorally complex animals, and changes in behavior can tell us important things about how an individual is doing," the Shedd said.
The whales continue to be monitored around the clock.
What's next:
Shedd said it is still awaiting laboratory results that could provide more information about the deaths of Peekachu, Rain and Beethoven.
The aquarium said it will share the findings once they become available.
"We are deeply grateful for the care and concern our community has shown for these whales, and for the patience that allows our veterinary and animal care teams to investigate these losses thoroughly," the Shedd said.
The Source: The information in this article was provided by a press release from the Shedd Aquarium and previous FOX Chicago reporting.