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Lead marine mammal care specialist Up until now, individual facilities have Bottlenose dolphins are one of the
Jennifer McGee having fun playing a game all been using different laboratories to more abundant cetaceans in zoos and
with the D-tag with Maxine Dolphin (above). analyze biomarkers from healthy animals aquariums, but exhibit characteristics vary
to determine “normal” levels for each greatly between institutions. For example,
Pooling Our Resources biomarker. But due to lab varieties, each habitats are often different sizes and
institution’s findings have had to stand depths and, on a smaller scale, are often
While it’s exciting to know more about alone, as results have not been comparable different temperatures and have different
our dolphins’ health, behavior, and between labs. patterns of water flow. We will be able to
daily lives, our success with the blood compare the animals’ movement, behavior,
and fecal samples and the D-tags also Now, the bloodwork and fecal samples and health findings, and will be able to
have much broader implications. from all of these animals will be analyzed see which habitat characteristics provide
in the same laboratory. This will provide these animals with the greatest welfare.
With funding from the Institute of us—and institutions worldwide—with
Museum and Library Services, we are able well-established reference ranges for normal Additionally, zoo and aquarium
to apply these methods to the large multi- levels of the chosen biomarkers for each of dolphins tend to spend much of their
institutional study. All 44 participating these species. We will be able to use these time with trainers and often have complex
institutions are accredited by either the ranges when testing other animals, both training programs, though again, this
Association of Zoos and Aquariums or those that appear healthy and those that do varies from institution to institution.
another large professional organization. not. We will be able to accurately evaluate
And from these institutions, we will have their health based on whether their results
access to data from approximately 290 fall within or outside of the normal range.
common and Indo-Pacific bottlenose
dolphins, 20 belugas, and eight Pacific Connecting the Dots
white-sided dolphins. This large amount
of data will strengthen the study’s results. Once these reference ranges are determined,
the study’s second objective is to measure
In the first part of the study, Society welfare in three areas—activity and
researchers are using monthly physical movement, behavior, and overall health—
exams, blood and fecal samples, and specifically for bottlenose dolphins.
observations by animal care specialists Two bottlenose dolphins from each
to collect data on the health of the four institution will be chosen randomly to
participating species. They are using participate. Factors that will be considered
the blood and fecal samples to evaluate as possibly impacting their welfare
biomarkers from the animals, who all include exhibit size and characteristics,
appear to be healthy. Just like when people environmental enrichment, and the
go to the doctor and have their blood type and timing of animal training.
taken during physical exams, which is
then tested for certain biomarkers and A fecal collection tube
compared to ranges from healthy humans, and fecal samples.
we will be creating similar reference
ranges for the participating species.
BROOKFIELD ZOO | SPRING 2018 33
