In May 2022, an orca was spotted in the Seine, between Le Havre and Rouen. Its presence, very abnormal, worried many animal protection associations and rightly so, since the animal finally died on Sunday, May 30, its corpse floating on the river. After an autopsy, it turns out that the animal, already very sick, saw its condition deteriorate because of a human shot, as a bullet was found in its neck. Sea Shepherd, an NGO that defends the oceans, promises a reward of 10,000 euros to the person who will give information on the shooter.
It is the association that, at the time of the death of the animal, watched over it to prevent boats from harming it. Towed, the corpse has since been autopsied, before joining the collections of the National Museum of Natural History. It was then that the scientist, Éric Pellé, discovered a piece of ammunition in the animal, although it was a protected species. An act punishable by three years imprisonment and a fine of 150 000 euros.
The president of the NGO, Lamya Essemlali, indicates to Le Parisien, that "themost likely hypothesis is that of a fisherman's shot. The practice is not well known, but often orcas, dolphins and seals are shot because of the competition for fishing. And as it happens in the open sea, it is almost unpunished". The association is offering, via the newspaper, a reward of 10,000 euros in exchange for useful information to identify the person responsible.
