Almost two months ago, experts from all over the world threw their efforts to save two belugas — 14-year-old Miranda and 15-year-old Plombir — from the Kharkiv dolphinarium "Nemo". The city was then heavily shelled by Russian troops.
Beluga whales, whose natural habitat is the Arctic, need cold water to survive. Due to the destruction of the power grid in Kharkiv, the dolphinarium there, where Miranda and Plombir lived, was without electricity for several days and relied on electricity from a generator. So there were difficulties with cooling the water, the animals were forced to swim in warm water.
On the morning of June 19, a pair of belugas were pulled from Kharkivʼs "Nemo" and sent to the largest oceanarium in Europe — the Oceanographic Park of Valencia in Spain.
Last month, a team of veterinarians and caretakers at a Spanish aquarium reported on the successful adaptation of belugas to their new home.
Specialists focused on providing Miranda and Plombir with a calm and comfortable environment and facilitating acclimatization after the difficult journey.
After the belugas arrived in Spain, Miranda did not eat for several days. However, as reported in the Oceanographic Park of Valencia, both animals are doing well and have already started interacting with two other local belugas, Yulka and Kayla.
All this time, the veterinarians of the Valencia Oceanarium have been conducting regular tests on Miranda and Plombir, the latest results indicate that the belugas are in good condition.
Both were dehydrated upon arrival at the Valencia Oceanographic Park. On the other hand, no infectious diseases were detected in the animals.
The team of the oceanarium is trying to "friend" Miranda and Plombir with Yulka and Kayla there. Because beluga whales are gregarious animals, this is important for their welfare.