Marineland has euthanized a seven-year-old beluga whale after a protracted battle with a number of completely different medical situations, making it the 18th such whale to die on the Niagara Falls, Ont., vacationer attraction since 2019.
Ontario’s Animal Welfare Companies workforce acquired affirmation of a beluga’s dying on Thursday, a Ministry of the Solicitor Basic spokesperson mentioned.
Eos was born in 2017 to a first-time mom and wanted assist from the pod to lift her, Marineland mentioned in a put up on social media. The younger whale’s medical issues started in 2021, the park mentioned.
“Eos was identified with renal issues at a younger age, which had been monitored carefully with development tracked through the years,” Marineland mentioned.
“Since then she had battled subsequent bouts of an infection with secondary issues that required intensive remedy involving acceptable medicines, supplemental fluids to make sure her hydration standing and (assisted) feedings to attenuate her weight reduction during times of inappetence.”
Eos was a troublesome whale, Marineland mentioned.
“She was particularly memorable for sometimes staying extremely vivid and lively throughout instances of what in different whales could be debilitating sickness,” Marineland mentioned.
“Sadly these previous few months Eos’s situation progressed and she or he wasn’t her vivid self as of late.”
Marineland mentioned six marine mammal veterinarians, each on the park and overseas, mentioned Eos’s declining well being.
“It was collaboratively unanimously determined that with most up-to-date diagnostic outcomes from the day prior, which confirmed irreversible renal illness, that humane euthanasia to permit Eos to go peacefully could be finest,” Marineland mentioned.
The park mentioned a 3rd social gathering will carry out a necropsy to find out the reason for her sickness.
In the summertime of 2023, a Canadian Press reporter and photographer visited Marineland. Workers mentioned there have been 37 belugas within the park on the time. Shortly after the go to, Marineland banned the reporter from its property.
The provincial authorities has now confirmed that six belugas have died since that go to, and 18 since late 2019. It’s believed 31 belugas stay at Marineland.
The Canadian Press realized of the newest whale’s dying earlier this week. Marineland didn’t reply to questions on Thursday, however posted in regards to the dying later that day.
Marineland has lengthy defended its remedy of animals and mentioned the deaths are a part of the cycle of life.
The park mentioned in October that it could now not discuss to the reporter from The Canadian Press who had been banned from its property.
“A good disclosure of your private animal rights beliefs and activism is solely missing out of your tales,” the park mentioned in a prolonged e mail final yr. “You’ve got persistently displayed an incapacity to professionally ‘report,’ as a substitute advancing inferences and false allegations in support of your private views.”
Final yr, Marineland mentioned it was transitioning to new possession, although it has but to announce a sale. The park solely opened for 2 months moderately than its traditional five-month stretch. Rides had been off limits and most of the animals weren’t open to the paying public.
The province’s Animal Welfare Companies has been to the park greater than 200 instances since launching an ongoing, five-year lengthy investigation in 2020.
In that point, it declared all marine mammals on the park in misery in 2021 because of poor water high quality. Marineland briefly appealed that order earlier than dropping the enchantment.
Late final yr, the province’s chief animal welfare inspector gave an interview in regards to the probe for the primary time.
Melanie Milczynski mentioned in November that the park had beforehand not met the usual of look after water high quality, however the water was thought of acceptable on the time of the interview after a major funding by Marineland.
A former Marineland whale coach who has grow to be an outspoken critic of the park mentioned he was considerably shocked the park had euthanized the seven-year-old Eos.
Phil Demers mentioned only a few animals had been euthanized throughout his 12 years on the park. He mentioned he might bear in mind a seal and a sea lion being put down, however not a whale.
“It means Eos was in tough, tough form,” he mentioned.
The advocacy group Demers co-founded, UrgentSeas, has been flying drones over the park for the previous few years. Footage posted on social media within the fall exhibits a small beluga being transported by a crane and rejecting fish from a coach.
“It is gut-wrenching, however when will Marineland be held accountable and when will the province be held accountable?” Demers mentioned.
This report by The Canadian Press was first revealed Feb. 7, 2025.
Liam Casey, The Canadian Press
