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Brookfield Zoo Welcomes First Dolphin Calf Since 2014

Zoo staff have temporarily closed the Seven Seas habitat to allow exclusive bonding time as experts monitor the calf’s health during its critical early weeks.

Bottlenose dolphins Allie and Tapeko are joined by the newly born calf at the Brookfield Zoo Chicago on June 7, 2025. (Brookfield Zoo Chicago)
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Credit: Brookfield Zoo Chicago

Overview

  • The bottlenose dolphin calf was born at 12:22 a.m. on June 7 and weighs between 33 and 37 pounds at about 115 to 120 centimeters long.
  • Allie, the 38-year-old mother, tended to her newborn without extra assistance and was supported by veteran dolphin Tapeko during labor.
  • Brookfield Zoo’s Seven Seas habitat, which reopened in February 2024 after a $10 million renovation, remains closed to visitors for the calf’s bonding period.
  • Veterinary teams are closely tracking the calf’s breathing, nursing and growth milestones, noting the first 30 days as critical for its development.
  • Zoo officials say they will confirm the calf’s father in the coming months and announce the calf’s name later this summer.