France: Authorities in 'race against the clock' to save Beluga whale not accepting food

French authorities are pulling out the stops to feed a dangerously thin Beluga whale that was spotted in the Seine River. However, all efforts to feed it have been unsuccessful so far, as per AP. The whale is known to be seen in its Arctic habitat, but it was the first time it was spotted at a considerable distance from its usual location, in the Seine River.

“Our teams took turns with the Beluga all night long. It always ignores the fish offered to him," read the message from the marine conservation group Sea Shepherd France on Twitter on Saturday. The whale was seen gently meandering in the river's light green waters between Paris and the Normandy city of Rouen many dozens of kilometers (miles) inland from the sea, as per the drone footage shot by the French fire services later on.

'A race against the clock', says conservationists as they try to feed the whale 

According to AP, conservationists' efforts to feed a catch of herring to the white mammal have been on since Friday, but it has turned out to be futile till now. Sea Shepherd France fears that the mammal may starve to death and calling it “a race against the clock.”

The whale was depicting a “fleeing behavior vis-a-vis the boats”, as per a statement by authorities in the l’Eure region. All efforts to guide the wild animal to safer waters have not been successful till now.

The statement further continued that the authorities were trying to be as unobtrusive as possible to “avoid the stress that could aggravate his state of health."