New Health Findings and Continued Progress

Over the last several weeks, the six rescued belugas at Shedd have continued to reach important milestones, from eating consistently to spending more time together, growing comfortable with their care teams and receiving needed medicines and clinical care. We're also learning more about the health challenges Osiris and Caspian had been living with.

As we've shared throughout the rescue, understanding each whale's health takes time. Medical histories and daily observations provide important information, but some underlying conditions can only be identified through detailed examinations of organs and tissues. Today, we're sharing what these examinations have revealed and how that knowledge is informing the care of the belugas at Shedd.

What We've Learned About Osiris and Caspian

In a previous update, we shared that Osiris's preliminary examination identified chronic liver disease. Additional necropsy reports from outside agencies now give an even fuller picture of the significant health challenges she faced, including evidence of extended nutritional and caloric deficiencies and physical deterioration. Her body's natural fat reserves were almost entirely depleted, and external pathology experts identified changes to several organs consistent with these longstanding conditions, including her liver and adrenal glands.

Osiris had a history of inconsistent eating, which her previous care team shared with us as we prepared for the rescue, and which helped inform her nutritional support at Shedd. Further examination also revealed changes suggesting her liver may have been affected by reduced heart function, which can interfere with normal blood circulation to the essential internal organs.

Together, these findings indicate significant underlying health challenges that placed strain on her heart and circulatory system and left her particularly vulnerable to additional illness.

Caspian's examination identified similar evidence of longstanding health challenges, including depleted fat reserves, muscle loss, chronic intestinal inflammation and changes affecting several organs, including her liver and adrenal glands. External academic animal health experts also identified acute inflammation and damage to a portion of her small intestine. These findings, together with significant metabolic abnormalities identified by Shedd's veterinary team before her death, may have contributed to her final decline.

 While the examinations did not identify a single, definitive cause of death for either whale, they underscore why an animal can have encouraging signs of improvement while still living with serious underlying illness and why Shedd’s continued, around-the-clock investment in all the animals’ care is so essential.

Progress Continues

For Acadia, Lillooet, Sierra, Secord, Gimli and Yukon, daily life at Shedd is becoming more active and social. All six are consistently eating their full daily diets, spending time together across shared habitats and showing plenty of curiosity about their surroundings. Floating balls, feeders and other enrichment are giving them plenty to explore, while their relationships with one another and their care teams continue to grow.

Behind these moments is the daily work of Shedd's animal care and veterinary teams, who are closely tracking each whale's nutrition, hydration, behavior and health. What they observe, alongside the medical insights gained throughout the rescue, helps shape the care each whale receives.