Police say a Russian ‘spy whale’ in Norway wasn’t shot to death

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Norwegian police say there’s no evidence to suggest that gunshots caused the death of a tame beluga whale that lived off Norway’s coast and whose harness ignited speculation it was a Russian spy. Animal advocates alleged the animal was shot to death after its carcass was found on Aug. 31 in Norway’s Risavika Bay. But police say a preliminary examination by veterinarians shows no evidence of that, though they did find a stick wedged in its mouth and that it had an empty stomach. The tame beluga whale was first spotted in 2019 not far from Russian waters with a harness reading “Equipment St. Petersburg.”