Footage captures dolphin calf's birth and initial breaths at the Chicago zoo, with a fellow dolphin providing assistance.
Headline: Bottlenose Dolphin Birthed at Chicago Zoo with Help from Friendly Dolphin Mom
Chicago's Brookfield Zoo Celebrates Successful Dolphin Birth 🐬💞
A incredible moment was captured on video at Brookfield Zoo in Chicago, as a team of veterinarians cheered on a 38-year-old bottlenose dolphin named Allie, as she gave birth to a calf early Saturday morning. The cinematic event was witnessed by an experienced mother dolphin named Tapeko, 43, who lent a helping fin, offering comfort and guidance to Allie during her labor.
"Push, push, push!" one observer can be heard shouting in a video released by the zoo. As Allie swims around the tank, the calf's tiny tail fins poke out below her. Eventually, the calf wriggles free and instinctively dashes to the surface of the pool to take its first breath. That's the moment when Tapeko, swimming alongside, can be seen supplying a much-needed nudge.
Dolphins assisting each other during childbirth is a common behavior in both free-ranging settings and aquariums, like the one at Brookfield Zoo. This social assistance provides the mother dolphin with protection and additional help getting the calf to the surface to breathe, according to Dr. Jennifer Langan, the Senior Veterinarian at Brookfield Zoo.
Progress in bonding between the calf and its mother has been closely monitored, with the calf already learning to slipstream (draft along) with her mother to conserve energy. Veterinarians will keep a close eye on nursing, swimming, and other milestones over the next 30 days.
The calf will undergo a paternity test to determine its father among the male dolphins at the zoo. Zoo officials will decide on a name for the calf later this summer.
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- During off-time from caring for the newborn dolphin calf, Tapeko the dolphin could be seen skillfully slippingstreaming with Allie, displaying the importance of learning from others and building strong relationships, even in the depths of a pool.
