A minke whale stranded along the River Thames is to be put down, rescuers have said.
Crowds gathered at Teddington Lock in south-west London on Monday to catch a glimpse of the animal, thought to be between 10ft (3m) and 13ft (4m) long.
But the whale is now due to be put to sleep as it would not survive on its own in the sea, Julia Cable, national co-ordinator at the British Divers Marine Life Rescue service, said.
A Minke whale near Teddington Lock (Yui Mok/PA)
“The vets are here from London Zoo.
“They will give the whale a large anaesthetic dose which will put it to sleep,” Ms Cable said.
The whale was first spotted on Sunday afternoon Credit: PA
A baby whale stranded along the River Thames has been put to sleep after efforts to guide it to open water failed.
The minke whale was first spotted in the Thames around Richmond Lock on Sunday afternoon and was successfully refloated in the early hours of Monday morning.
At the time it was already showing signs of injury and fatigue.
Julia Cable from the British Divers Marine Life Rescue said the mammal was given a “large anaesthetic dose”.
She said vets from London Zoo administered the dose and the whale won t have felt anything.
A minke whale stranded along the River Thames is to be put down, rescuers have said.
Crowds gathered at Teddington Lock in south-west London on Monday to catch a glimpse of the animal, thought to be between 10ft (3m) and 13ft (4m) long.
But the whale is now due to be put to sleep as it would not survive on its own in the sea, Julia Cable, national co-ordinator at the British Divers Marine Life Rescue service, said.
A Minke whale near Teddington Lock (Yui Mok/PA)
“The vets are here from London Zoo.
“They will give the whale a large anaesthetic dose which will put it to sleep,” Ms Cable said.
A minke whale stranded along the River Thames is to be put down, rescuers have said.
Crowds gathered at Teddington Lock in south-west London on Monday to catch a glimpse of the animal, thought to be between 10ft (3m) and 13ft (4m) long.
But the whale is now due to be put to sleep as it would not survive on its own in the sea, Julia Cable, national co-ordinator at the British Divers Marine Life Rescue service, said.
A Minke whale near Teddington Lock (Yui Mok/PA)
“The vets are here from London Zoo.
“They will give the whale a large anaesthetic dose which will put it to sleep,” Ms Cable said.
Minke whale stranded in River Thames unlikely to survive say rescuers A YOUNG minke whale has been put down after becoming stranded in London s River Thames. Rescuers had said the small whale stranded along the River Thames was unlikely to survive and make it back to the open sea. Crowds gathered at Teddington Lock in the south-west of the capital on Monday to catch a glimpse of the whale, a minke between 10ft (3m) and 13ft (4m) long. It came after hundreds of people gathered at Richmond Lock and Weir on Sunday after the animal became stuck on the lock’s boat rollers.