Bottlenose dolphin born at Brookfield Zoo Chicago, takes its first breath on video
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
Vox
13-07-2025
- Vox
Why doctors are finally taking IUD pain seriously
IUDs are becoming more popular. Now, can we make them less painful? Getty Images IUDs have been a promising breakthrough in birth control, offering both convenience and effectiveness, and their use has exploded over the past few decades. But that progress has often come with some (painful) trade-offs. Vox senior reporter Allie Volpe has been digging into why medicine has been slow to catch up to the pain that IUD insertions can cause and doctors' plans to make the process for more palatable for patients in the future. It is a big reproductive rights story, at a time when those rights are increasingly under threat. I sat down and chatted with Allie about it. Allie, are IUDs becoming more popular? What do people like about them? They're definitely more popular. Just over 6 million people, or 8.4 percent of contraceptive users between the ages of 15 and 49, use IUDs. It's actually the fourth most popular form of birth control. No. 1 is tubal ligation or, as people refer to it, getting your tubes tied. The pill is No. 2, condoms are No. 3, and IUDs are No. 4. That's a huge increase from the mid-'90s when just 1 percent of birth control users used IUDs. Today, Explained Understand the world with a daily explainer, plus the most compelling stories of the day. Email (required) Sign Up By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. People really like the IUD. It's a set-it-and-forget-it kind of thing. Once you get past the act of placing it, you have it for anywhere from three to 10 years, depending on the type you have. Both do the same thing: They prevent the sperm and egg from meeting. A lot of people report less cramping on their periods, lighter periods, or even no periods in general. That's a huge draw for people who often have painful periods or endometriosis. It's a good way to treat those things. I think a lot of people have the perception of IUDs as a quick, painless insertion that's not really a big deal. Is that accurate? It depends on who you talk to, right? It is quick. It is all over within a matter of minutes unless you're getting anesthesia, which would make the process longer. And for some people, it's historically not been all that uncomfortable. But for others, it's really uncomfortable. Pain is very personal, and it's hard to pinpoint what pain actually is. Some people are like, 'Yup, didn't really feel it.' Others are like, 'I've had multiple children, and this is more painful than childbirth.' What we've been seeing over the last couple of years is those people coming on social media talking about their experiences with painful IUD insertions. Why do you think that misconception persists? Why do even doctors misunderstand the pain that their patients are going through? Women's pain in medicine has long been minimized. There's been reporting over the last couple of years about medical gaslighting, not just in gynecological procedures but across the board. Women will come in with a problem. And for decades, centuries, they've just been written off as being hysterical. Specifically, when it comes to IUDs, as more people got them, you started to hear more stories about these being very painful. It's a numbers game — more people get them, more people are going to have problems — but also a medical history game. You're writing about this now because things do seem to be changing. What's going on? One of the OB-GYNs I talked to said, 'I've been placing IUDs for like 37 years. It's not like I didn't mention that it would be painful, but I just tried not to bring it up. Because if a patient expects something's going to be painful, it's going to be more painful than they really thought.' These conversations about pain were not really happening until recently. Within the last year, the CDC and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists both released recommendations telling doctors to talk to their patients about pain management during IUD placement. Related Why gynecologists think IUDs are the best contraceptive For a while, there just wasn't really good research that pointed to methods that might help during this procedure because the pain can come at multiple points. But these groups are urging doctors to talk to their patients about not only taking ibuprofen to manage the pain after the procedure but also using topical creams or an anesthetic shot during the procedure to reduce discomfort. What questions should patients be asking their doctor? All of the OB-GYNs I talked to really stressed this: Talk to your doctor before your appointment. Because if you walk in the day of, there's not really a lot they can do. So, as you're making this appointment, discuss your concerns with your doctor. Tell them if you're concerned about pain or if you have any past history that might make this procedure more difficult for you. Ask, 'What can you offer me?' Ask as many questions as you want. If you don't feel satisfied with the options they have — like if you really want a paracervical block but your doctor doesn't offer it — ask if they have recommendations for another provider that will. Then start to talk through a plan with your provider. What medications will they give you pre-appointment? Some doctors now are giving people Xanax to chill out before the IUD insertion. They will probably often tell you to take ibuprofen beforehand. Ask what they will use during the procedure. Make sure you have that clear plan written out ahead of time.
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Yahoo
‘Deeply saddened': 4-day-old bottlenose dolphin calf at Brookfield Zoo abruptly dies
BROOKFIELD, Ill. (WGN) — A bottlenose dolphin calf born at the Brookfield Zoo last week has abruptly died, officials confirmed Thursday. According to zoo officials, the male calf was born early Saturday morning and appeared healthy, but died abruptly on Wednesday evening. 'We know our guests and supporters share this sadness with us,' Dr. Rita Stacey, Brookfield Zoo Chicago senior vice president of programs and impact, said. 'This calf's birth brought hope and joy, and his sudden loss reminds us of the delicate balance of life.' Lincoln Park Zoo introduces new river otter 'Tucker' Zoo officials said the calf, who was under continual 24-hour, minute-to-minute observation by the Zoo's animal care and veterinarian teams, had been exhibiting positive and progressive indicators of development up until his death. The calf had been meeting all milestones, including healthy levels of nursing and other activities, and his mother, a 38-year-old bottlenose dolphin named Allie, was also providing appropriate maternal care, Dr. Stacey said. How can you enjoy Chicago on a budget this summer? But things rapidly changed on Wednesday evening when staff members witnessed a rapid, unexpected change in the calf's behavior. Officials said within minutes of noticing the change, the calf died. While the cause of death is unknown, zoo officials said a dolphin calf's first year of life is full of milestones that must be reached and even slight developmental challenges can become critical in a short time. In the wild, one in five calves born to first-time mothers do not survive their first year. Hong Kong's baby pandas finally have names. Meet Jia Jia and De De 'The first few days after birth are a vulnerable, critical timeframe for dolphin calves,' Dr. Rita Stacey said. '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. 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 calf's mother, as well as the rest of the dolphin group, are now being closely monitored by animal care and veterinary staff. Officials said while the loss of the calf is devastating, dolphin births, which are rarely observed in the wild, contribute to the zoo's scientific understanding of dolphin neonatology and care. Endangered Amur tiger Malena euthanized at Brookfield Zoo Chicago 'Brookfield Zoo Chicago is one of only a few institutions globally with the expertise, resources and scientific partnerships capable of contributing to meaningful advances in marine mammal care and conservation,' a zoo official said in a release on Thursday morning. The zoo is now awaiting a complete necropsy to determine the calf's cause of death. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBS News
12-06-2025
- CBS News
Bottlenose dolphin calf born at Brookfield Zoo Chicago dies days after birth, zoo says
The Brookfield Zoo Chicago's newly born bottlenose dolphin, the first to be born there since 2014, has died, the zoo announced on Thursday. The dolphin was born last Saturday morning to mother Allie, 38, who gave birth to the calf just before 12:30 a.m. A video captured the moment the male calf was born and took its first breath of air while being accompanied by its mother, and experienced dolphin mother, Tapeko. The zoo said the calf had appeared healthy and was "exhibiting positive, progressive indicators of development" until his sudden passing Wednesday evening, Dr. Rita Stacey, Brookfield Zoo Chicago's senior vice president of programs and impact, said it's a devastating loss for our zoo community. "We know our guests and supporters share this sadness with us," she said. "This calf's birth brought hope and joy, and his sudden loss reminds us of the delicate balance of life." Veterinarians at the zoo estimated the calf's weight to be between 33 and 37 pounds and 115-120 centimeters long. The zoo said it is awaiting complete necropsy, or animal autopsy, results to determine the cause of death.
