Patte d’Oie (1970-2010)
Beluga
Adopted by Peinture Internationale
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ID number
DL0036
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Sex
Female
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Year of birth
1970 (death in 2010)
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Known Since
1987
Distinctive traits
On Patte d’Oie’s right flank, below the crest, is the scar that inspired her name. Her dorsal crest has only one small, shallow notch, which is not enough to recognize her on the left flank.
Life history
First observed in 1987, Patte d’Oie was completely white. She would therefore have been born before 1971.
Her small size and the presence of a newborn alongside Patte d’Oie indicated that she was a female from the community on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River.
Patte d’Oie was found dead in 2010. When a fresh beluga carcass is found, it is trucked to the Université de Montréal’s Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in Saint-Hyacinthe. A detailed necropsy and chemical analysis will reveal much about the animal’s cause of death and exposure to pollution.
Observations history in the Estuary
Years in which the animal was not observed Years in which the animal was observed
Latest news
Patte d’Oie is spotted in the ile Verte area in the company of around thirty belugas, and even minke whales are present in the area. Among the individuals observed, one beluga spits water and others are visibly hunting prey below the surface. That day, the team attempts two biopsies on individuals in the group.
This was the last time we saw Patte d’Oie. She was found dead nine years later, in 2010. Post-mortem examination revealed her to be a female over 40 years old, measuring 3.69 m.
Sponsor
Peinture Internationale adopted Octave, Aile Joyeuse, Blanche-Neige, Oreillette, Patte d’Oie and Vagabonde (1988).