A WHALE suspected of being a spy for Vladimir Putin before it “defected” from Russia may have been shot dead, animal rights activists claim.
The infamous white beluga Hvaldmir was found dead this weekend after unsuspecting fisherman saw his carcass floating off the coast of Norway.
Suspicious animal rights groups are now looking into if the 14ft whale was actually a victim of foul play and “senselessly murdered” on purpose.
Concerned organisations, OneWhale and NOAH (National Office of Animal Health), say they believe all signs point towards the animal being gunned down.
A police report, both groups claim to have seen, reportedly says Hvaldmir suffered “intentional human-inflicted injury”.
They also say bullet wounds were found on the 1,200kg whale’s corpse.
In a statement regarding the police report, Regina Haug, founder of OneWhale, said: “When I saw his body and the multiple injuries, I immediately knew he had been killed by gunshots.
“I even saw a bullet lodged in his body.
“There is no question that this kind, gentle animal was senselessly murdered.”
Haug and OneWhale had been involved in keeping Hvaldmir protected inn recent years.
The lifeless beluga was found in Risavika Bay on Saturday 31, August with images appearing to show bullet holes in the animal’s side, Business Insider reported.
Hvaldmir has often been described as having “defected” from Russia after he is believed to have escaped his enclosure and deserted the Kremlin.
The first signs of him being used as a secret spy for paranoid Putin came back in 2019 when he was seen wearing a tight-fitting camera harness.
Experts say that the Russian military is known to use and train whales for military purposes.
Siri Martinsen, a veterinarian and leader of NOAH, voiced concerns that Hvaldimir was a “significant” animal whose past shouldn’t be ignored in the investigations into its death.
Siri said: “The injuries on the whale are alarming and of a nature that cannot rule out a criminal act — it is shocking.
“Given the suspicion of a criminal act, it is crucial that the police are involved quickly. Hvaldimir was significant to many, and all facts must be brought to light regarding his death.”
Siri continued saying she had “no information” on who the killer might be but did say the chances of it being by Russia was “extremely low”.
Sebastian Strand, the founder of Marine Mind – an organisation that cared for Hvaldimir – agreed saying anything said right now would simply be “speculation”.
There is no question that this kind, gentle animal was senselessly murdered
Regina Haug
Hvaldimir body was taken to the Norwegian Veterinary Institute on Monday for an autopsy.
They are yet to release their findings into the shock death and say results could take up to three weeks.
The name Hvaldimir is a combination of the Norwegian word for whale – hval – and the second part of Russia’s dictator Putin.
Experts suspected he may have escaped from a training tank at a Russian facility.
He has been spotted in Norwegian water several times since the miraculous escape.
The beluga was even known to be unusually friendly towards humans and appeared to enjoy their company.
Local NGO Marine Mind wrote on their site: “Based on these observations, it appeared as if Hvaldimir arrived in Norway by crossing over from Russian waters, where it is presumed he was held in captivity.”
It comes as tensions between Russia and Norway continue to grow with Norway ramping up their military drills in fear of Russian aggression.
Six Nato nations were reportedly planning to create a “drone wall” to shield the alliance’s eastern flank from the growing threat of Russia, back in May.
Thousands of surveillance and possibly armed drones are set to patrol the tense frontier all the way from Norway to Poland.
