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A baby bottlenose dolphin has died at the Indianapolis Zoo
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The calf was born on Oct. 29, but he “began to decline rapidly” three days later on Nov. 1, according to the zoo
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“Every effort was made to intervene and improve the dolphin’s chances of survival, but unfortunately, he did not make it,” a zoo spokesperson told PEOPLE
The Indianapolis Zoo is grieving the loss of a baby animal.
A dolphin calf was born to a first-time mom at the Indiana zoo on Oct. 29, “began to rapidly decline” three days later on Nov. 1 and died the same day, a zoo spokesperson said in a statement to PEOPLE.
“Dolphin calves, especially those born to first-time mothers, face significant challenges in the critical early days after birth,” the spokesperson explained, adding, “The dolphin and mother were monitored 24/7 by marine mammal and vet staff in the hours leading up to the birth and after.”
“Every effort was made to intervene and improve the dolphin’s chances of survival, but unfortunately, he did not make it,” the statement continued.
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The Indianapolis Zoo
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The spokesperson added, “The vet and animal care teams put tremendous effort, expertise and compassion into this pregnancy and birth. The outcome is a difficult reminder of the many challenges facing first-time dolphin mothers.”
The Indianapolis Zoo is home to what are known as common bottlenose dolphins, which average 8 to 9 feet in length and weigh around 1,400 lbs., per the zoo’s website. The marine mammals live in social groups called pods, and they can live as long as 50 years.
Dolphin calves gestate in their mother’s wombs for about a year and nurse until they are approximately one year old. Mothers and other females in the pods typically care for the calves for up to three years, per the zoo.
Dolphins in the wild have been known to mourn the loss of their young, with one grieving dolphin mother carrying the body of her deceased calf for days off the coast of New Zealand in 2019.
Read the original article on People
