A small whale has been freed after it became stranded in the River Thames on Sunday evening. Crowds gathered at Richmond Lock and Weir after the whale, believed to be a Minke and between three to four metres long, became stuck on the lock’s boat rollers at around 7pm. Footage posted from the scene showed the whale finally being freed at about 1am, however it’s whereabouts are currently unknown. Videos showed the sea mammal being hosed down by a man believed to be a Port of London Authority (PLA) staffer, 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 around 9pm.
Whale Spotted in Thames- Tom Oliver Hampton School Residents of St Margarets and Richmond flocked to Richmond Lock yesterday evening, on the 9th of May, as they tried to catch a glimpse of a Minke Whale that had become stuck near the Lock. The Whale, who has since been sighted elsewhere on the Thames, including near Teddington lock, was hosed down at Richmond Lock and Weir yesterday evening, before it was towed to water of a more suitable depth for an animal of its size, an impressive four metres. Fiona Oliver, a resident of St Margarets, said that ‘I was really quite concerned for the whale, it’s clearly quite lost and it definitely isn’t safe for an animal of it’s size to be swimming around in the Thames. I hope the poor creature is alright, and if he is I very much hope that they can return him to his natural habitat soon. Believe it or not it isn’t often we see whales in Richmond!’. The whale’s remarkable journey leads some to believe that this is the furthest
Thames whale live: Baby Minke is humanely killed as rescue mission ends in heartbreak
A large crowd gathered in Teddington as the whale became trapped for a second time
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The baby whale that became trapped in the Thames has had to be put to sleep after becoming completely beached.
This evening (Monday, May 10) the decision was taken to humanely end the life of the Minke as it became clear it couldn t be rescued.
Crowds had gathered at Teddington Lock in West London to watch as specialist divers from the RNLI tried to sedate the whale in order to move it.
BBC News
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A juvenile minke whale that became stranded in the River Thames has been put down.
Hundreds of people gathered along riverbanks in south-west London after the whale was first spotted on Sunday.
It was first freed from Richmond Lock but became stranded a second time in Teddington.
Rescuers earlier said the mammal s condition had deteriorated rapidly and a vet team had been working to end its suffering .
image copyrightPA Media
A vet from the Zoological Society of London administered the injection shortly after 18:00.
The whale is now being moved and a post-mortem examination is due to be carried out.
A small whale has been freed after it became stranded in the River Thames on Sunday evening. Crowds gathered at Richmond Lock and Weir after the whale, believed to be a Minke and between three to four metres long, became stuck on the lock’s boat rollers at around 7pm. Footage posted from the scene showed the whale finally being freed at about 1am, however it’s whereabouts are currently unknown. Videos showed the sea mammal being hosed down by a man believed to be a Port of London Authority (PLA) staffer, 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 around 9pm.