Thames whale dies

2006-01-21 21:12

London - Despite enormous rescue efforts, the whale stranded in the Thames River in London for two days has died.

Rescuers say the whale died from "convulsions".

Throughout the rescue effort, veterinarians were pessimistic about the whale's fate, saying the whale's lungs and eyes may have been damaged in the freshwater and the animal has endured stress from noisy boats and crowds.

Sky News reported that the whale was "in a very distressed state" and was not fit to be moved far out to sea.

It was also experiencing difficulty breathing.

The whale was spotted in the River Thames two days ago and its rescue operation galvanized Londoners.

In an attempt to assist the stranded whale, animal experts had hoisted it onto a barge and headed back down the Thames River toward deep saltwater on Saturday afternoon.

- AFP