CALGARY — A fourth beluga relocated from Marineland in Niagara Falls, Ontario, has died, with 26-year-old Osiris passing away Monday at Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium. Osiris was one of 10 belugas transferred from the shuttered Canadian marine park to Shedd as part of an international effort to relocate Marineland’s remaining whales.According to Shedd Aquarium, Osiris had been considered a clinical concern since arriving in late July. She was not consistently eating, making it difficult for staff to ensure she received sufficient calories, nutrients and electrolytes.Her condition had shown some improvement in recent weeks after she received fluids, medication and other supportive care. She began eating more consistently and interacting more with the other rescued belugas..“Her condition declined rapidly, and Osiris passed away despite lifesaving efforts by our veterinary and animal care teams,” Shedd said in a statement.“Each rescued beluga came to Shedd with a distinct life history and health needs that could not be fully understood before their arrival,”On Monday morning, Shedd’s care team observed sudden changes in Osiris’ behaviour and respiratory patterns. Osiris was moved to a medical habitat so she could receive immediate care, but her condition declined rapidly.Osiris is the third Marineland beluga to die at Shedd Aquarium.Peekachu, a 23-year-old beluga, died in August, while 20-year-old Rain died earlier this month. A fourth Marineland beluga, 19-year-old Jelly Bean, died last week at Oceanogràfic in Valencia, Spain, after experiencing feeding difficulties..According to WTTW, Shedd lead veterinarian Dr. Karisa Tang previously described the animals’ progress as changing “day by day, hour by hour.”“Every individual is on their own path,” Tang told WTTW. “We have some animals that are eating really well, and some animals that are just taking a little bit longer to adjust, and that answer may change day by day.”“When we say day by day, hour by hour, we truly mean that,”Shedd said a full necropsy will be conducted, while the aquarium continues to await results from analyses related to previous beluga deaths.
