- A whale thought to be a Russian spy is shot
- Animal rights activists call for a criminal investigation
- A whale that became a celebrity in Norway was found dead in a bay on the south-west coast of the country on Saturday
A whale thought to be a Russian spy is shot
Animal rights groups said on Wednesday that a beluga whale made famous in Norway and suspected of being trained by Russia to spy on it has died after being shot[1].
Earlier, it was reported that the animal had been found dead off the Norwegian coast.
Animal rights activists call for a criminal investigation
NOAH and One Whale said they had filed a complaint with the Norwegian police asking for a criminal investigation.
The whale had been nicknamed Hvaldimir by Norwegians, a play on words made up of the Norwegian word "hval" for dolphin or whale and the name of Russian President Vladimir Putin. The animal first approached the Norwegian ships in April 2019 near Ingoy Island, about 415 km from Murmansk, where the Russian Northern Fleet is based. The sighting attracted attention because white dolphins are rarely seen so far south in the high Arctic.
A whale that became a celebrity in Norway was found dead in a bay on the south-west coast of the country on Saturday
His body was taken to the local branch of the Norwegian Veterinary Institute for a post-mortem on Monday. A report is expected "within three weeks", a spokeswoman said.
"He had multiple bullet wounds around his body," Regina Crosby Haug, head of One Whale, an organisation set up to track the whale, told the AFP news agency after examining Hvaldimir's body.
Meanwhile, NOAH Director Siri Martinsen said in a statement that "the injuries on the whale are alarming and of a nature that cannot rule out a criminal act – it is shocking". "Given the suspicions that a criminal act has been committed, it is very important that the police get involved quickly," she said.
The police confirmed that a complaint had been received and said they would investigate to "determine whether there are reasonable grounds to open an investigation."
When the animal was first spotted in Norwegian waters, a GoPro camera with a strap marked "St Petersburg Equipment" was attached to its body. This sparked rumors that the mammal could be a spy, which experts say has happened before.
Moscow has never responded to these allegations.
Based on ELTA reports
