The NGO Sea Shepherd spotted the body of the cetacean at the end of the morning. His autopsy will be carried out by a veterinarian and a biologist to try to determine the causes of death.
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“She was on the flan when we found her this morning at 11:48 am and the vent by which she breathes was underwater”. The observation of Lamya Essemlali, the president of Sea Shepherd France, is final. The body of the orca in perdition in the Seine was found on Monday May 30 in the morning by the NGO, after being seen by a Norwegian cargo which went up the Seine. The Seine-Maritime prefecture organized a cetacean towing operation in the afternoon. The autopsy will be carried out Tuesday by a veterinarian and a biologist.
“It is unfortunately a tragic end which only confirms that the Orca was in great suffering”, reacts Sophie Poncet, specialist in marine mammals for the French Biodiversity Office (OFB). After being seen for the first time on May 16 at the mouth of the Seine, the cetacean had quickly weakened, probably due to a skin disease and the contact with the fresh water of the Seine. Sunday, May 29, the Seine-Maritime prefecture announced its upcoming euthanasia, after the failure of a rescue attempt on Saturday using stimuli sound.
The animal, which measures between four and five meters and weighs more than a ton, will undergo an external examination and then an autopsy on Tuesday. “Like any stranding of marine mammals, the carcass will be taken care of by the Pelagis observatory,” says Sophie Poncet. The Institute, coordinator of the National Craft network, is mandated by the State to intervene in this type of situations. A veterinarian and a biologist from the observatory, located in La Rochelle, had to arrive on site Monday evening.
many gray areas
The body of the Orca, a wild and protected species, will then be screened by the experts to identify all the anomalies of which he was carrying. Because at this stage, many gray areas concerning the death of this cetacean in the Seine. Where is she from ? Why has she progressed so far in the river? How could his state of health have deteriorated so quickly? What was the concentration of chemical pollutants in his body? The autopsy will provide first indications, before further analyzes in the coming weeks.
Operations could start this Monday evening. “If necessary and if the blood has not already coagulated, we will make a first blood sample this evening,” says Sarah Wund, the Pelagis veterinarian in charge of the autopsy. Tuesday morning, an external visual examination will be conducted to identify the lesions on the body of the orca. The autopsy will then examine all the organs of the animal. According to Sarah Wund, the operation could last at least six hours. “We asked to be equipped with knives and a tractopelle charger to be able to return the animal,” says Cécile Dars, a biologist of Pelagis also in charge of the autopsy. Masks, gloves, glasses and blouses were also made available to the team to ensure their protection. “Of course, you have to be careful because there can be zoonotic pathogens [man transmissible]”, continues Cécile Dars.
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