The Russian spy beluga whale died of a bacterial infection, not a gunshot wound, Norwegian police said on Friday

Norway: According to Norwegian authorities on Friday, a beluga whale that was discovered dead in August in Norway and was thought by some to be a Russian spy most likely passed away from an infection rather than gunshot wounds.

The white beluga, known as “Hvaldimir” due to its pun on the Norwegian term for whale (“hval”) and its possible connections to Moscow, made its debut off the coast of the far-northern Finnmark area of Norway in 2019 and swiftly rose to fame there.

On August 31, his body was discovered in a harbor on the southwest coast of Norway.

The animal rights groups One Whale and NOAH reported to the authorities that they believed the whale had been shot dead.

After performing an autopsy, the Norwegian Veterinary Institute discovered that a 35-centimeter (14)-inch rod had been wedged in his mouth.

Police spokesman Amund Preede Revheim said in a statement on Friday that “the report concluded that the probable cause of death was a bacterial infection, possibly as a result of wounds in his mouth caused by a stick that got stuck.”

He said, “Hvaldimir may have had difficulty eating as a result of the stick, which raised the risk of infection.”

Authorities said they had not discovered any gunshot evidence and that they would not be initiating an inquiry. Preede Revheim said, “Nothing in the examinations suggests Hvaldimir was killed illegally.”

Norwegian marine researchers discovered Hvaldimir in 2019 and took out a synthetic harness with an action camera mount and the words “Equipment St. Petersburg” written in English on the plastic clasps.

The whale seemed to be used to people.

The whale may have escaped from its confinement and received training from the Russian navy, according to Norwegian authorities.

The idea that the whale is a potential “Russian spy” has never received an official reaction from Moscow.