4 more beluga whales safely arrive at Chicago's Shedd Aquarium in 'urgent rescue'

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Four more beluga whales arrived Thursday at the Shedd Aquarium.

There was a police presence Thursday morning on the museum campus as the whales arrived.

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They will join four others that arrived last month.

Chicago is part of a complex and "urgent rescue" of some endangered beluga whales.

The sea animals were moved out of Marineland of Canada, a now-closed park in Ontario.

The belugas were transported both by truck and plane.

The four earlier rescues are all female and were chosen to move together in a sub-pod.

The Shedd welcomed Acadia, 27; Osiris, 26; Sierra, 26; and Lillooet, who is 21 years old.

"As with any of our animals, the best indicator of well-being is individual and social behavior," said Charlie Jacobsma, director of animal behavior and training at Shedd Aquarium. "We are watching closely for the rescued belugas to eat a full diet, socialize with one another, and investigate the habitat, which are encouraging signs of their progress. We are cautiously optimistic as we start to see some of those initial indicators, and our dedicated team will continue to monitor throughout this process to acclimatize the belugas to their new home, caretakers and pod."

Shedd Aquarium says it can help up to 10 beluga whales as part of the rescue effort in its Abbott Oceanarium.