Bottlenose dolphin born at Brookfield Zoo Chicago, takes its first breath on video
A bottlenose dolphin safely delivered a calf early Saturday morning at Brookfield Zoo Chicago, a 'momentous occasion' that marks the first dolphin birth in more than a decade at the west suburban zoo.
Allie, a 38-year-old bottlenose dolphin and experienced mother of four, gave birth to the calf — which will be named later this summer — at 12:22 a.m., the zoo said in a news release. Veterinarians estimated that the calf weighs between 33 to 37 pounds and is 115 to 120 centimeters long.
'Every birth is a remarkable learning opportunity, and the scientific information we gain benefits marine conservation efforts,' said Dr. Mike Adkesson, the zoo's president and CEO. 'The birth offers a moment to celebrate the incredible work and dedication of our team to ensure the health and well-being of the animals in our care.'
Allie began showing signs of labor Friday morning when her body temperature dropped about a degree, the zoo said. By 11 p.m., the calf's flukes presented itself, and within less than an hour and a half the calf was born, the zoo's first since 2014. A video showed the calf swimming up to the water's surface for its first breath alongside Allie and Tapeko, another dolphin and an experienced mother.
'The calf came out very strong,' Dr. Jennifer Langan, senior veterinarian, said in the video one hour after the delivery. 'It has been breathing well, and it's developing new skills that dolphins have to develop really quickly. That includes learning how to surface to breathe, learning how to move its flukes.'
The calf reached other developmental milestones as well, including 'slipstreaming,' which is when a calf gets pulled along by its mother so that it doesn't have to work as hard to swim, the zoo said. The calf's dorsal fin and tail flukes are also pliable and lack firmness, but will gradually stiffen in a few days.
These milestones, which staff are monitoring 'around the clock,' are important because although calves are born fully developed after a 12-month gestation, they heavily rely on their mother for nutrition, navigation and to conserve energy. A calf's first year of life can be particularly precarious. In the wild, 1 in 5 calves born to first-time mothers don't survive their first year, the zoo said.
'The first 30 days are a critical time frame for Allie and her calf,' said Dr. Sathya Chinnadurai, the zoo's senior vice president of animal health, welfare and science. 'We're closely monitoring behaviors and milestones to gauge the calf's progress, like its first breath of air, bonding with its mother, growth and an increase in nursing efficiency.'
Staff will confirm which dolphin is the calf's father in the coming months, the zoo said.
Brookfield Zoo has a long history of dolphin care and research. In 1961, it opened the country's first inland dolphin aquarium. For over five decades, the zoo has also led the Sarasota Dolphin Research Program in Florida, the world's longest-running wild dolphin conservation program, which studies bottlenose dolphins as indicators of the overall health of the marine ecosystem, as well as the presence of diseases and toxins like contaminants, runoff, red tides and algal blooms.
The zoo's Seven Seas dolphin habitat is temporarily closed while the calf acclimates to the dolphin group.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
3 hours ago
Dolphin calf takes first breath at Chicago zoo after mom's friend helps with birth
CHICAGO -- A bottlenose dolphin at a Chicago zoo gave birth to a calf early Saturday morning with the help of a fellow mom, in a successful birth recorded on video by zoo staff. The dolphin calf was born at Brookfield Zoo Chicago early Saturday morning as a team of veterinarians monitored and cheered on the mom, a 38-year-old bottlenose dolphin named Allie. 'Push, push, push,' one observer can be heard shouting in video released by the zoo Saturday, as Allie swims around the tank, the calf's little tail fins poking out below her own. Then the calf wriggles free and instinctively darts to the surface of the pool for its first breath. Also in the tank was an experienced mother dolphin named Tapeko, 43, who stayed close to Allie through her more than one hour of labor. In the video, she can be seen following the calf as it heads to the surface, and staying with it as it takes that first breath. It is natural for dolphins to look out for each other during a birth, zoo staff said. 'That's very common both in free-ranging settings but also in aquaria,' said Brookfield Zoo Chicago Senior Veterinarian Dr. Jennifer Langan in a video statement. 'It provides the mom extra protection and a little bit of extra help to help get the calf to the surface to help it breath in those couple minutes where she's still having really strong contractions.' In a written statement, zoo officials said early signs indicate that the calf is in good health. They estimate it weighs around 35 pounds (16 kilograms) and stretches nearly four feet in length (115-120 centimeters). That is about the weight and length of an adult golden retriever dog. The zoo's Seven Seas exhibit will be closed as the calf bonds with its mother and acclimates with other dolphins in its group. As part of that bonding, the calf has already learned to slipstream, or draft alongside its mother so that it doesn't have to work as hard to move. Veterinarians will monitor progress in nursing, swimming and other milestones particularly closely over the next 30 days. The calf will eventually take a paternity test to see which of the male dolphins at the zoo is its father.
Chicago Tribune
9 hours ago
- Chicago Tribune
Bottlenose dolphin born at Brookfield Zoo Chicago, takes its first breath on video
A bottlenose dolphin safely delivered a calf early Saturday morning at Brookfield Zoo Chicago, a 'momentous occasion' that marks the first dolphin birth in more than a decade at the west suburban zoo. Allie, a 38-year-old bottlenose dolphin and experienced mother of four, gave birth to the calf — which will be named later this summer — at 12:22 a.m., the zoo said in a news release. Veterinarians estimated that the calf weighs between 33 to 37 pounds and is 115 to 120 centimeters long. 'Every birth is a remarkable learning opportunity, and the scientific information we gain benefits marine conservation efforts,' said Dr. Mike Adkesson, the zoo's president and CEO. 'The birth offers a moment to celebrate the incredible work and dedication of our team to ensure the health and well-being of the animals in our care.' Allie began showing signs of labor Friday morning when her body temperature dropped about a degree, the zoo said. By 11 p.m., the calf's flukes presented itself, and within less than an hour and a half the calf was born, the zoo's first since 2014. A video showed the calf swimming up to the water's surface for its first breath alongside Allie and Tapeko, another dolphin and an experienced mother. 'The calf came out very strong,' Dr. Jennifer Langan, senior veterinarian, said in the video one hour after the delivery. 'It has been breathing well, and it's developing new skills that dolphins have to develop really quickly. That includes learning how to surface to breathe, learning how to move its flukes.' The calf reached other developmental milestones as well, including 'slipstreaming,' which is when a calf gets pulled along by its mother so that it doesn't have to work as hard to swim, the zoo said. The calf's dorsal fin and tail flukes are also pliable and lack firmness, but will gradually stiffen in a few days. These milestones, which staff are monitoring 'around the clock,' are important because although calves are born fully developed after a 12-month gestation, they heavily rely on their mother for nutrition, navigation and to conserve energy. A calf's first year of life can be particularly precarious. In the wild, 1 in 5 calves born to first-time mothers don't survive their first year, the zoo said. 'The first 30 days are a critical time frame for Allie and her calf,' said Dr. Sathya Chinnadurai, the zoo's senior vice president of animal health, welfare and science. 'We're closely monitoring behaviors and milestones to gauge the calf's progress, like its first breath of air, bonding with its mother, growth and an increase in nursing efficiency.' Staff will confirm which dolphin is the calf's father in the coming months, the zoo said. Brookfield Zoo has a long history of dolphin care and research. In 1961, it opened the country's first inland dolphin aquarium. For over five decades, the zoo has also led the Sarasota Dolphin Research Program in Florida, the world's longest-running wild dolphin conservation program, which studies bottlenose dolphins as indicators of the overall health of the marine ecosystem, as well as the presence of diseases and toxins like contaminants, runoff, red tides and algal blooms. The zoo's Seven Seas dolphin habitat is temporarily closed while the calf acclimates to the dolphin group.
CBS News
11 hours ago
- CBS News
Video captures moment bottlenose dolphin calf born at Brookfield Zoo Chicago
The Brookfield Zoo welcomed its newest addition as a bottlenose dolphin calf was born overnight. According to the zoo, this is the first birth for the species, also known as Tursiops truncatus, since 2014. A video captured the moment when proud mother Allie, 38, gave birth to the calf just before 12:30 a.m. Saturday. She first showed signs of labor Friday morning as her body temperature dropped, indicating that her body was preparing itself for birth. At about 11 p.m., the calf's tail was seen. About an hour and 22 minutes later, the calf was born and kicked up to the water's surface for its first breath with Allie and her experienced dolphin mother, Tapeko, accompanying her. Tapeko accompanied Allie during the birth. Veterinarians at the zoo estimate the calf is between 33 and 37 pounds and 115-120 centimeters in length. Experts noted that no hands-on assistance was needed as Allie was immediately attentive to the calf. The zoo said its animal care and veterinary teams are monitoring Allie and the calf around the clock for developmental milestones, and that both appear to be healthy. Dr. Sathya Chinnadurai, Brookfield Zoo Chicago's senior vice president of animal health, welfare, and science, said the first 30 days are critical for the mom and calf. "We're closely monitoring behaviors and milestones to gauge the calf's progress, like its first breath of air, bonding with its mother, growth, and an increase in nursing efficiency," he said. According to the zoo, nearly one-third of marine mammals face the threat of extinction, and said it's at the forefront of global efforts to protect the species.
