The calf was being carefully monitored by zoo staff and appeared healthy until things took a turn on Wednesday.
WASHINGTON — Brookfield Zoo Chicago is mourning the sudden death of its four-day-old bottlenose dolphin calf.
The male bottlenose dolphin was the first born at the facility in over a decade.
According to the zoo, the calf had appeared healthy and was meeting all developmental milestones, including “healthy levels of nursing and other activity.” Its mother, 38-year-old bottlenose dolphin Allie, was also providing attentive care.
The calf was born at 12:22 a.m. on June 7. Brookfield Zoo Chicago staff had been monitoring the calf under 24-hour continuous care. Footage of the birth and the calf’s first breath had been shared by the zoo.
On June 11, staff observed a rapid and unexpected change in the calf’s behavior. Within minutes, he became unresponsive and passed away.
“The first 30 days are a critical timeframe for Allie and her calf,” Dr. Sathya Chinnadurai, Brookfield Zoo Chicago senior vice president of animal health, welfare and science said when the calf was born.
In the wild, one in five calves born to first-time mothers do not survive longer than one year. Newborn dolphins must master everything from “nursing underwater to navigating the aquatic environment and learning to rest while pulled along in the mother’s slipstream or wake.”
“This is a devastating loss for our Zoo community, especially the animal care and veterinary teams who dedicate their lives to the well-being of animals in our care,” Dr. Rita Stacey, Brookfield Zoo Chicago senior vice president of programs and impact said.
“They provided exceptional, around-the-clock care to Allie and her calf. While the calf was progressing well, dolphin neonates face immense biological challenges. We are deeply saddened by his sudden passing.”
The zoo is currently awaiting results of a necropsy, or animal autopsy, to determine the exact cause of death. In the meantime, Allie and the dolphin group are being closely monitored by staff.
