Bottlenose Dolphin Calf Takes First Breath in Chicago Zoo

A 38-year-old dolphin named Allie has given birth at Brookfield Zoo Chicago, her labor lasting a bit over an hour. The new calf weighs an estimated 35 pounds and is nearly four feet long.

On Friday morning (June 6) Allie’s temperature dropped, a sign that labor was imminent. When the time came, Allie had got some help from a friend. 

“At about 11 p.m. that night, the calf’s flukes (or tail) presented themselves,” per a zoo press release. “One hour and 22 minutes later, the calf was born and kicked up to the water’s surface for its first breath under the guidance of Allie and another experienced dolphin mother, Tapeko, who accompanied Allie during the birth.”

Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) have a 12-month gestation period, after which calves are born fully developed. They rely heavily on mother for nutrition, navigation, and to conserve energy. The zoo has observed mother and calf nursing and “slipstreaming,” in which a calf is buoyed along its mother's wake while she swims.

While these dolphins are plentiful all over the world, one in five calves born in the wild do not survive their first year. The Brookfield baby (whose sex is still unknown) will face better odds as the zoo veterinary team attends to its every move. The zoo also manages the Sarasota Dolphin Research Program, the world’s longest-running dolphin conservation research group.

Where’s Poppa? The identity of the calf’s father is a mystery, to be confirmed by paternity test “after Allie and her calf get time to bond and acclimate to the rest of the dolphin group.” Brookfield Zoo Chicago will also name the little swimmer sometime this summer, and its Seven Seas dolphin habitat is closed while the new arrival settles in. 

Some video of the birth is here.