VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Sept. 16 (UPI) -- A young beluga whale died of an infection Friday at the Vancouver Aquarium, officials at the British Columbia aquatic venue said.
Aquarium officials said they don't think 3-year-old Tiqa's death at about 5:45 a.m. PDT is related to an overnight break-in, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. reported.
Officials said the beluga whale had been monitored for the past 10 days because she hadn't been eating normally, but the staff didn't suspect an infection was to blame until Thursday, the CBC said.
Officials said in a statement the staff was "deeply saddened by this loss" and a full necropsy would be conducted.
Vancouver police said they were investigating the apparently unrelated break-in in which a male intruder was spotted by staff in the beluga enclosure about 4:30 a.m. and was scared off.
Tiqa, one of five belugas to be born in captivity at the aquarium, was the third young member of the species to die there.
