Brookfield Zoo welcomes 2nd dolphin calf in 5 days
The Brookfield Zoo is welcoming the second bottlenose dolphin born in the western Chicago suburb in five days.
The Chicago Sun-Times reports (http://bit.ly/1zE1vVU ) the Chicago Zoological Society said Thursday that a 27-year-old dolphin named Allie gave birth to a female calf early Tuesday. It says Allie is a protective mother and is successfully nursing the calf and slipstreaming - when the calf rests in his mother's wake as she swims.
The zoo also welcomed a male calf born to 9-year-old Allison on Dec. 12.
The society's marine mammal curator Rita Stacey says the births have been very rewarding for the marine mammal team. She has said a calf's first 30 days are critical, and a dolphin birth is not considered successful until the calf reaches 1 year old.
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Information from: Chicago Sun-Times, http://www.suntimes.com/index