A minke whale stranded along the River Thames is to be put down, rescuers have said.
Crowds gathered at Teddington Lock in south-west London on Monday to catch a glimpse of the animal, thought to be between 10ft (3m) and 13ft (4m) long.
But the whale is now due to be put to sleep as it would not survive on its own in the sea, Julia Cable, national co-ordinator at the British Divers Marine Life Rescue service, said.
A Minke whale near Teddington Lock (Yui Mok/PA)
“The vets are here from London Zoo.
“They will give the whale a large anaesthetic dose which will put it to sleep,” Ms Cable said.
A minke whale stranded along the River Thames is to be put down, rescuers have said.
Crowds gathered at Teddington Lock in south-west London on Monday to catch a glimpse of the animal, thought to be between 10ft (3m) and 13ft (4m) long.
But the whale is now due to be put to sleep as it would not survive on its own in the sea, Julia Cable, national co-ordinator at the British Divers Marine Life Rescue service, said.
A Minke whale near Teddington Lock (Yui Mok/PA)
“The vets are here from London Zoo.
“They will give the whale a large anaesthetic dose which will put it to sleep,” Ms Cable said.
Minke Whale Lost in River Thames To Be Euthanized, Officials Say
By Maggie Gile
On 5/10/21 at 3:52 PM EDT
A young minke whale that has spent a couple of days trapped in the River Thames in London is facing euthanization as its condition weakens.
First spotted on Sunday, rescuers worked throughout the night to rescue the young whale, only for the animal to slip away and swim further up the river. Due to the lengthy 95-mile trek up the Thames, rescuers said they doubt the whale could make it back to the ocean even if it were to reorient itself to a return trip.
A minke whale stranded along the River Thames is to be put down, rescuers have said.
Crowds gathered at Teddington Lock in south-west London on Monday to catch a glimpse of the animal, thought to be between 10ft (3m) and 13ft (4m) long.
But the whale is now due to be put to sleep as it would not survive on its own in the sea, Julia Cable, national co-ordinator at the British Divers Marine Life Rescue service, said.
A Minke whale near Teddington Lock (Yui Mok/PA)
“The vets are here from London Zoo.
“They will give the whale a large anaesthetic dose which will put it to sleep,” Ms Cable said.