RIP Minnie, such a sad ending : Londoners mourn baby minke whale that was put to sleep after becoming trapped upstream in Thames despite desperate battle to save it
The whale was first freed in the early hours of Monday morning after it got stuck in Richmond Lock and Weir
While animal was refloated at time, it swiftly got stranded again near Teddington after swimming upstream
As condition deteriorated and hopes for its survival faded, the decision was made that it should be euthanised
A vet gave the whale an overdose of anaesthetic - meaning it wouldn t feel anything except the needle
Young whale stranded in London s Thames is put down
Updated / Tuesday, 11 May 2021
10:08
The whale measured three to four metres (10-13 feet)
A juvenile minke whale that became stranded in London s River Thames has been put down after its condition deteriorated and vets decided it could not survive in the open water.
The whale, measuring three to four metres (10-13 feet), was first spotted in southwest London on Sunday and was washed ashore at a set of gates controlling water flow.
Rescue efforts by the British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) service and firefighters failed when the whale slipped its leash and then swam upriver, instead of towards the sea.
Hopes fade for stuck minke whale
LONDON (AP) â Hopes faded Monday for a young minke whale who became trapped in the River Thames near London, authorities said.
Rescuers trying to recapture the whale said that by 5 p.m. its condition had deteriorated rapidly and it would soon be stranded by the dropping tide near Teddington in southwest London.
âOnce the whale is beached a veterinary team will be on stand by to euthanize the animal to end its suffering,â the British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) said in a statement.
The BDMLR said the injured and drained calf would struggle to swim even if it managed to get back into deeper water.
Juvenile minke whale has been put down after its condition deteriorated
London:
A juvenile minke whale that became stranded in London s River Thames has been put down after its condition deteriorated and vets decided it could not survive in the open water.
The whale, measuring three to four metres (10-13 feet), was first spotted in southwest London on Sunday and was washed ashore at a set of gates controlling water flow.
Rescue efforts by the British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) service and firefighters failed when the whale slipped its leash and then swam upriver, instead of towards the sea.