It's a sad time for SeaWorld San Antonio as it has just lost one of its beluga whales, a premature calf born a month early three weeks ago.
SeaWorld has released a statement about the death, saying the calf was not able to pull through despite the round-the-clock care provided by park staff since it was born. It was smaller than usual at 4 feet long, weighing 120 pounds.
Veterinarians at the park started growing concerned when the whale still did not put on weight as fast as expected despite being given infant formula for marine mammals seven times per day aside from nursing from its mother. Park staff actually started feeling encouraged the calf would pull through when she started bonding with her mother and nursing on her own, but things didn't turn out as hoped.
"Losing an animal in our care is never easy, and we thank everyone for their thoughts and support during this difficult time for our team," said Josie Villela, a spokesperson for SeaWorld.
A necropsy was planned for the calf. Results can be expected within six to eight weeks.
Earlier in June, a beluga whale was born at the Georgia Aquarium, but it had also died after living for close to a month with its mother at the facility. This calf was not born prematurely, but it was also not gaining weight at the expected rate despite being given infant formula.
A necropsy was also performed on the calf but results have not been released yet. Early analysis of the whale's condition suggests that it was having gastrointestinal issues, which was a possible reason why the calf was unable to absorb nutrients from the food it was eating to gain weight.
The beluga whale from the Georgia Aquarium was born to 20-year-old Maris and 19-year-old Beethoven. As the calf's parents were born in captivity, its death (as well as that of the beluga whale from SeaWorld San Antonio) raises concerns over the viability of sustainably growing the mammal population in water parks. In fact, none of the beluga whale calfs born to lifelong residents in aquariums have ever survived well into adulthood.
Photo: Roland Tanglao | Flickr
