Beluga whales rescued from war-torn Ukraine find safe haven in Spain
Marine biologists have brought a pair of beluga whales from the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv – which is the daily target of Russian shelling – to the eastern Spanish city of Valencia as part of a long and risky international rescue operation.
The animals, 15-year-old male Plombir and 14-year-old female Miranda, arrived at the famous Oceanarium in Valencia late Monday in a fragile state of health, according to a statement from the Spanish Oceanarium.
They had completed a long journey in fragile wooden crates, which began with a 12-hour drive from Kharkiv to the port city of Odessa. There, the belugas’ Ukrainian keepers met a team of veterinarians from the Oceanografic, the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta and the SeaWorld theme parks.
After a brief check, they continued their journey to the border with Moldova, which they crossed with the help of the European Union Anti-Fraud Office. From Chisinau, they boarded a five-hour flight to Valencia.
The regional head of Valencia, Carlos Mazon, described the action as “a historic achievement for animal protection on a global level”.
Oceanogràfic’s zoological director, Daniel Garcia-Parraga, said the whales’ condition was “not optimal to undertake such a journey, but if they had continued on to Kharkiv, their chances of survival would have been very slim.”
The NEMO dolphinarium in Kharkiv was located just 800 meters from a site that was frequently shot at. The pressure waves caused severe stress to the animals, who have sensitive hearing.
However, Garcia-Parraga said on Wednesday, the belugas are in much better condition than the veterinarians initially expected and are adapting well to their new home.
Plombir has already eaten – which is unusual for this species immediately after transport – but Miranda has not yet tried her first bite, he added.
The Oceanogràfic is the largest aquarium in Europe and the only one that houses beluga whales.
The white-colored mammals live in cold waters of the Arctic and Subarctic. Males can reach a length of up to 5.5 meters and weigh up to 1.6 tons.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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