Baby Bottlenose Dolphin Born at Brookfield Zoo

Just in time for the holidays, the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago received a present early in the form of a baby bottlenose dolphin.

The approximately 35- to 40-pound, 3½-foot-long male was born to first-time mom Allison, age 9, around 1:15 p.m. Friday, officials said.

This is the zoo's eighth bottlenose dolphin, and although a dolphin birth is not truly considered successful until the calf reaches a year old, the staff has already witnessed key milestones that show exceptional promise for this young male, including nursing and slipstreaming.

"We are encouraged with the behavior we are seeing from both Allison and the calf," Rita Stacey, curator of marine mammals for the Chicago Zoological Society, said in a news release. "However, we remain cautiously optimistic as the first 30 days are extremely critical in the calf's life."

Earlier this month, another calf died just 10 minutes after his birth, the Chicago Tribune noted.

As for Allison and her calf, the two are happily swimming in the zoo's Seven Seas main habitat, along with three other dolphins: experienced mom Tapeko, 33; Merlin, Tapeko's one-year-old son; and Magic, Merlin's one-year-old half-brother.

"The current grouping mimics what occurs in the wild," Stacey said. "Dolphins are gregarious and form fluid social groupings throughout their lives. Mothers often form groups with other females who help in raising their young. Having successfully raised several calves of her own, including Merlin, Tapeko is a wonderful role model to Allison."

In the wild, bottlenose dolphins are typically found in groups of 2 to 15 individuals, with offshore herds numbering sometimes around several hundred individuals, the NOAA says. Through the Bottlenose Dolphin Breeding Consortium, the Brookfield Zoo, and six other facilities are trying to create an environment akin to that of the wild, via social groupings among 40 dolphins.

The Seven Seas habitat is closed indefinitely to allow Allison and her calf time to bond. Updates can be found on the zoo's website.

Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncates), one of the most recognized species of marine mammals, can be found in temperate and tropical waters around the world.

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