Updated
10/05/2021 20:29 BST
A Small Minke Whale Stranded In The River Thames Is To Be Put Down
After a two-day battle to save the injured animal, experts say the whale would likely starve if it was released back into the sea.
A minke whale stranded along the River Thames is to be put down after a two-day struggle to save the animal.
Hundreds of people gathered at Richmond Lock and Weir on Sunday after the small animal, thought to be between 10ft (3m) and 13ft (4m) long, became stuck on the lock’s boat rollers.
Videos showed it being hosed down while a vet performed a check-up at the river’s edge, before the Royal National Lifeboat Institute (RNLI) arrived at the scene to the cheers of onlookers at about 9pm.