Trapped beluga whale dies during rescue mission from Seine river

A beluga whale stranded for several days in the Seine River has been euthanised after it was successfully removed from the French waterway, French authorities say.

The 800-kilogram whale was being prepared for transfer to a saltwater pool in Normandy for a "period of care" before being towed back out to sea, according to president of environmental group Sea Shepherd France Lamya Essemlali.

The dangerously thin white male mammal began to have breathing difficulties during the rescue mission and so experts decided to humanely euthanise the creature, veterinarian Ollivet Courtois said.

Conservationists have tried unsuccessfully since Friday to feed fish to the beluga.

Authorities added that while the move did carry its own mortality risk because of the stress on the animal, the whale couldn’t survive much longer in the Seine’s freshwater habitat.

The whale, which became a local celebrity, was first spotted last week having accidentally veered off its normal path to the Arctic.

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