Page 29 - Bookfield Zoo Chicago Annual Report 2024

(left) A 2-year-old female
dolphin with algae- and
barnacle-fouled fishing line
embedded in and trailing from
her flukes, as seen (with her
mother) from overhead just
Hosting Students before her rescue, and as the
line is being removed (below).
In July, SDRP staff hosted eight teens from the Zoo’s King Conservation More than one year later, she
Science Scholars program. During their stay in Florida, the teens participated is doing well.
in a variety of activities in the field and in the lab that introduced them to Dolphin Rescues
the study of wild dolphin populations and the examination of adverse human
influences on wild dolphins. Nine graduate students benefitted from the Over the years, the Sarasota Dolphin
SDRP through field research opportunities or access to data, samples, or Research Program and its partners
guidance. Also,18 undergraduate interns participated in 3-month training have been involved in numerous
sessions in Sarasota. successful rescues of bottlenose
dolphins along Florida’s west coast,
including instances in which dolphins
suffered life-threatening entangle-
ments in fishing gear, nets, and debris.
In 2023, the SDRP was involved in
three successful bottlenose dolphin
calf disentanglements.
• February: A multi-agency team led by the SDRP successfully caught, treated,
and released a 2-year-old Sarasota Bay resident female bottlenose dolphin
calf with 10 feet of fishing line cutting deeply into her tail flukes that
prevented normal swimming and activities.
• April: SDRP staff led a dolphin-rescue effort by multiple Stranding Network
organizations that safely removed fishing line cutting deeply into the tail
flukes of a 1½-year-old dolphin calf near Marco Island.
• August: SDRP staff and partners performed a remote disentanglement near
Cedar Key of a 5-month-old bottlenose dolphin calf that had plastic mesh
wrapped around and cutting into its torso and pectoral flippers. The SDRP
team used a long-handled grappling and cutting tool to successfully remove
King Fellows participate in dolphin photographic identification research in Sarasota. the gear while the calf remained in the water.

Peer Recognition

The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) awarded the Sarasota Dolphin
Research Program with a “Significant Achievement” Research Award for its
program “Integrated Behavioral, Ecological, Health, and Conservation
Research.” The award was presented during AZA’s annual conference held
in September.
Photos taken under NMFS/MMPA Scientific Research Permits

ANNUAL REPORT 2023 25