‘Russian spy’ whale Hvaldimir likely died of infection, say Norway police
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Hvaldimir was found in 2019 with a man-made harness and the words “Equipment St Petersburg” printed on the plastic clasps.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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OSLO – A beluga whale found dead in Norway in August, suspected by some of being a Russian spy, probably died of an infection and not gunshot wounds, Norwegian police said on Oct 4.
Nicknamed “Hvaldimir” in a pun on the Norwegian word for whale (“hval”) and its purported ties to Moscow, the white beluga first appeared off the coast in Norway’s far-northern Finnmark region in 2019 and quickly became a celebrity in the country.
He was found dead on Aug 31 in a bay on Norway’s south-western coast.
Animal rights’ organisations Noah and One Whale claimed the whale was shot dead
The Norwegian Veterinary Institute conducted an autopsy
“The report concluded that the probable cause of death was a bacterial infection, possibly a result of wounds in his mouth caused by a stick that got stuck,” police official Amund Preede Revheim said in a statement on Oct 4.
“The stick may also have made it difficult for Hvaldimir to eat, thereby increasing the risk of infection,” he added.
Police said they found no trace of bullets and decided not to open an investigation.
“There is nothing in the examinations that suggests Hvaldimir was killed illegally,” Mr Preede Revheim said.
When Hvaldimir was found in 2019, Norwegian marine biologists removed a man-made harness with a mount suited for an action camera and the words “Equipment St Petersburg” printed in English on the plastic clasps.
The whale appeared to be accustomed to humans.
Norwegian officials said the whale might have escaped an enclosure and been trained by the Russian navy.
Moscow has never made any official response to claims that the whale could be a “Russian spy”. AFP
