Beluga Post-Mortem Findings

Shedd Aquarium Discovers Chronic Disease in Rescued Beluga Whales After Examinations

Preliminary post-mortem examinations found significant chronic gastrointestinal inflammation in rescued belugas Peekachu and Rain, while longtime Shedd Aquarium resident Beethoven had age-related health changes, including cardiovascular changes. Veterinarians said Peekachu and Rain’s disease likely began months or years before their arrival from Canada and may have weakened them, but the findings do not establish a definitive cause of death. Peekachu’s stomach contained feathers, sticks and rocks believed to have been ingested before her rescue. Shedd reported no evidence of a shared infectious disease or common environmental factor linking the three deaths. The findings come amid animal-rights advocates’ questions about whether the rescued whales were healthy enough to withstand transfer from shuttered Marineland; a fourth rescued beluga, Osiris, has also died, but these examinations do not address her death.

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