Shedd Aquarium Reports Deaths of Two More Beluga Whales, Including Recent Canadian Rescue
Chicago's Shedd Aquarium announced the deaths of two more beluga whales: Rain, a 20-year-old female recently rescued from a closed Canadian marine park, and Beethoven, a 34-year-old male who had been a long-term resident at the aquarium. These deaths follow that of Peekachu, another rescued beluga, last week. Rain arrived at Shedd in mid-August as part of an international effort to rehome 30 beluga whales from Marineland, a shuttered marine park in Ontario, Canada. Beethoven had been part of Shedd's resident beluga pod for decades. The aquarium stated that both whales passed away despite immediate efforts by animal care and veterinary teams to provide lifesaving measures. Officials have indicated that it is currently unknown if these passings are isolated incidents or related, and necropsies, blood tests, and additional examinations are underway to determine the causes of death. The Shedd Aquarium has taken in a total of 10 beluga whales from Marineland as part of this rescue mission. 
