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Dolphins continued

O
n January 30, 2024, a convoy of transport carriers arrived
at Brookfield Zoo Chicago after a 400‑mile journey from
a Twin Cities suburb. The transport carriers held precious
cargo—the Zoo’s seven bottlenose dolphins, cradled in slings
and tended to by animal care specialists and veterinarians.
The dolphins were returning home after a 15‑month absence.
During this time, they had been sorely missed by Zoo guests, Transport carriers with the seven dolphins inside were escorted back to
staff, and volunteers. All seven of our bottlenose dolphins Brookfield Zoo Chicago by the Zoo's police department.
had been temporarily housed at Minnesota Zoo’s Discovery
Bay while their Seven Seas habitat underwent $10 million of The renovations and enhancements to Seven Seas were
extensive renovations and upgrades. driven in part by results of the Cetacean Welfare Study
The trip from Apple Valley, Minnesota, to Brookfield that published in 2021 that evaluated the care and welfare of
day took eight hours, however, it was years in the making. dolphins and whales in 43 zoos and aquariums around the
Locating a Temporary Home globe. The Zoo’s Conservation Science and Animal Welfare
Research Department spearheaded the project. Scientists
The Seven Seas facility was scheduled for renovations in 2022. produced data that concluded that dynamic enrichment
The last major renovations to the 37‑year‑old facility occurred in 2009. programs and social management of bottlenose dolphins
The scope of the current project, which originally included replacing are much more linked to positive welfare than environmental
the skylights and the roof, was expanded to include enhancements characteristics such as habitat size.
that benefit the dolphins’ well‑being and the guest experience. Just planning the relocation of the animals took our staff
about 10 months and involved extensive collaboration by
multiple departments across the Zoo including Animal Care
and Programs; Animal Health and Welfare; Environmental
Quality Control; Life Support; Conservation, Science and
Animal Welfare Research; Police Department;
and support staff.
Concern for the well‑being of the animals, including
their social and emotional well‑being, guided planning efforts.
The first challenge was finding an accredited facility with
a habitat large enough to house all seven of the dolphins
together as a group.
Dolphins are very intelligent and social animals.
They use sound to communicate with one another and when
hunting for food as a group. For example, an individual
animal uses a signature whistle, which has been compared
with a name, to identify itself to other dolphins.
Our seven bottlenose dolphins are a very cohesive group,
said Mark Gonka, associate director of Marine Mammal
Care and Conservation. Most of them have been living at
Seven Seas with one another for many years. “Whenever you
move animals off to different locations, the social structures
change within the group,” said Gonka. “When you bring
them back together, they have to reestablish themselves within
A forklift was used to move dolphins in their transport carriers down from Discovery Bay to
awaiting transport vehicles for their return trip home. A temporary heated structure was built the hierarchy. By keeping them together we make sure we
to maintain a comfortable temperature for the dolphins as they were loaded into the trucks. have that cohesive social grouping.” This will be especially
important because the Zoo plans to participate in a cooperative
dolphin breeding program with other accredited institutions.

26 GATEWAYS | DOLPHINS MAKING A BIG SPLASH