Kharkiv resident has a message for Western leaders

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Belugas evacuated to Spain from war-torn Kharkiv

STORY: Marine biologists successfully moved a pair of beluga whales from war-torn Ukraine to Spain: The long journey included a 12-hour car trip and flight from Moldova: Kharkiv, Ukraine: Valencia, Spain: Daniel Garcia Parraga, Director of Zoological Operations at the Oceanografic de Valencia: “They did not have the capacity to cool the swimming pools, they lived in water with a temperature of 26 degrees Celsius, which is very high for a species native to the Arctic. power plants were bombed, they worked with generators for basic needs like freezers and lighting, but they did not have the capacity to cool these animals’ water basins. // “Seeing the animals swimming in the aquarium was a real spectacle. an absolute relief, I thought: “I can’t believe it. We did it. We arrived and the animals were swimming, breathing and are still alive after this odyssey “The animals, Plombir, a 15-year-old male, and Miranda, a 14-year-old female, arrived at the famous oceanographic complex in Valencia on Wednesday June 19. ) shortly after midnight, in a fragile state of health, according to a press release from the Spanish oceanarium. The long journey in flimsy wooden crates, which began with a 12-hour road trip from Kharkiv to the port city of Odessa, was one of the main concerns for the team transporting the animals. The NEMO dolphinarium in Kharkiv was just 2,600 feet from a site that was frequently bombarded and the shock waves caused severe stress on animals with such sensitive hearing. But Garcia-Parraga said Wednesday that the belugas are in much better shape than veterinarians had initially expected and are adjusting well to their new home. The Océanografic is the largest aquarium in Europe and the only one to house belugas.