Zookeepers Capture the Rare Moment a Dolphin Gives Birth
Zookeepers in Chicago have recorded rare footage of a bottlenose dolphin giving birth to a calf. The event happened in the early hours of Saturday morning this past weekend.
The footage shows 38-year-old dolphin Allie giving birth in the Brookfield Zoo’s Seven Seas habitat, while veterinary and animal care teams monitored the process from nearby. The video captures the moment the calf’s tail appears, followed by its full delivery just over an hour later.
“Push, push, push,” one staff member can be heard saying in the video, as staff watched closely but gave space during the birth.
Once born, the calf instinctively swam to the surface to take its first breath, an essential milestone that was closely watched by another dolphin, Tapeko, a 43-year-old experienced mother who remained close throughout the labor.
“That’s very common both in free-ranging settings but also in aquaria,” Dr. Jennifer Langan, Brookfield Zoo Chicago’s senior veterinarian, tells the Associated Press. “It provides the mom extra protection and a little bit of extra help to help get the calf to the surface to help it breathe in those couple minutes where she’s still having really strong contractions.”
The dolphin birth was also the culmination of a closely monitored pregnancy. Zoo staff noticed changes in Allie’s body temperature on Friday (June 6), a signal that labor was imminent. Later that night, the birth process began, with the zoo team documenting the event and subsequent behaviors such as nursing and “slipstreaming”, a swimming behavior where the calf drafts behind its mother to conserve energy.
According to zoo veterinarians, the calf weighs an estimated 33 to 37 pounds and measures between 115 and 120 centimeters in length. Staff report that both Allie and the calf appear to be in good health, and no medical intervention was required during the birth.
“This dolphin birth is a momentous occasion for Brookfield Zoo Chicago and is our first dolphin calf in over a decade,” Dr. Mike Adkesson, the zoo’s president and CEO, says in a statement. “Every birth is a remarkable learning opportunity, and the scientific information we gain benefits marine conservation efforts.”
The zoo will continue to monitor the calf over the next several weeks, with particular attention to early developmental milestones. As part of this observation period, the zoo’s Seven Seas exhibit will remain temporarily closed to allow time for mother-calf bonding and acclimation.
Veterinarians will later conduct a paternity test to determine which of the zoo’s male dolphins fathered the calf. The calf’s name is expected to be announced later this summer.
Image credits:© Brookfield Zoo Chicago
