A baby dolphin born live on camera at Brookfield Zoo has died just days after footage of the birth went viral, the zoo announced Thursday.
The zoo said it was “devastated” by the sudden loss of the 4-day-old dolphin calf, which was born on Saturday and passed away late Wednesday evening.
“The first few days after birth are a vulnerable, critical timeframe for dolphin calves,” Dr. Rita Stacey, senior vice president of programs and impact for Brookfield Zoo Chicago, said in a statement. “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 zoo is still awaiting results to determine what caused the death.
Stacey noted the calf was meeting all of its milestones in the first few days of life and had “health levels of nursing and other activity.” The dolphin’s mom, Allie, was also “providing appropriate maternal care.”
But care teams noticed a “rapid, unexpected change in the calf’s behavior Wednesday evening” and within minutes, the animal became unresponsive and passed away, the zoo said.
“Animal care and veterinary staff continue to closely monitor Allie and the dolphin group during this difficult time,” the zoo’s statement read.
According to experts, only one in five calves born to first-time mothers in the wild survive their first year of life, where “even slight developmental challenges can become critical in a short time.”
“We know our guests and supporters share this sadness with us,” Stacey said. “This calf’s birth brought hope and joy, and his sudden loss reminds us of the delicate balance of life.”
The young animal’s birth marked the first bottlenose dolphin birth in more than a decade for the zoo.
According to a press release, Allie, a 38-year-old bottlenose dolphin, gave birth to the calf at 12:22 a.m. Saturday, after first showing signs of labor Friday morning.
Dolphin calves are born after a 12-month gestation and are fully developed, though they require extensive attention from their mother for nutrition, navigation and energy conservation, according to the zoo.
The newborn calf was estimated to be between 33 and 37 pounds with a length between 115 and 120 centimeters.
The calf kicked up to the water’s surface for its first breath after birth, and was accompanied by its mother and another experienced dolphin mother, Tapeko, who was with Allie for the birth.
According to the zoo, Allie was immediately attentive to her calf and did not require any hands-on care or assistance.
The zoo hopes to use the tragic situation as a learning experience to develop “scientific understanding of dolphin neonatology and care.”
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