A U.S. consortium of aquariums says the American government has approved an “emergency rescue” to import Marineland’s whales and dolphins, the last such captive animals in Canada.
The shuttered Niagara Falls, Ont., tourist attraction is up for sale and the park has said it is running out of money to care for its complement of 30 belugas and four dolphins.
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Ottawa endorsed last month a plan to move the animals to several facilities in the United States and one in Spain.
The whales are set to go to five marine parks: Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, SeaWorld locations in San Antonio and San Diego and Oceanografic Valencia.
Marineland says it welcomes the authorization of the relocation and says the move is in the best interest of the whales.
The American consortium says the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration authorized the emergency rescue this week and that they will be in Canada soon to assess the animals’ health as part of the process to move them.
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