Dolphins in Action Presentation Resumes at Brookfield Zoo Chicago’s Seven Seas
Brookfield, Ill. – Today, March 22, Brookfield Zoo Chicago’s Dolphins in Action presentations resumed for guests, who were thrilled to see the marine mammals back home at Seven Seas. For the past 15 months, the seven dolphins—Lucky, 50; Tapeko, 42; Allie, 36; Kai, 29; Spree, 21; Noelani, 20; and Allison, 18—were temporarily at another accredited zoo while their habitat was undergoing an extensive $10 million renovation.
In addition to featuring the dolphins’ agility and husbandry care they voluntarily participate in, the informative and engaging presentations highlight the Zoo’s Sarasota Dolphin Research Program. The Program is the longest-running study of dolphins in the wild that has provided information on the species’ biology, behavior, health, ecology, social structure, and communication that has benefited marine mammal conservation programs around the globe. The building’s interior now reflects the Sarasota Bay, Florida.
Also, reopening today, is the Underwater Viewing Gallery where zoogoers can see the dolphins swimming amongst the new additions to their habitat that encourage natural behaviors such as searching for food, playing. Enhancements to their environment include rockwork, a built-in bubbler system, and a shallow sand pit, where animal care staff can hide enrichment items or food for the dolphins to locate. Additionally, staff can attached to the rockwork a variety of enrichment items, including artificial kelp strips and floating objects, at different levels in the water for the dolphins to interact with.
Other upgrades that may be less obvious to guests include a new roof, skylights, lining to the pools, LED lighting, and a new heating and cooling system that allows for a better temperature-controlled climate in the building year-round.
Dolphins in Action presentations are held daily. For times and pricing visit www.brookfieldzoo.org.
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Photo Captions (credit: Brookfield Zoo Chicago)
2475, 4403, 4421, and 8200: Brookfield Zoo Chicago’s Dolphins in Action presentations have resumed after the marine mammals were temporarily at another accredited zoo while their habitat was being renovated for 15 months.
6236 and 6160: Rockwork and a bubbler system have been added to the bottlenose dolphins renovated habitat at Brookfield Zoo Chicago.
9873: Guests can view the bottlenose dolphins from the Seven Seas’ Underwater Viewing Gallery at Brookfield Zoo Chicago.
9822: The Seven Seas’ Underwater Viewing Gallery at Brookfield Zoo Chicago.
About Brookfield Zoo Chicago
Celebrating 90 years as a global leader in animal well-being and conservation, Brookfield Zoo Chicago inspires conservation leadership by igniting emotional connections for people with wildlife and nature, locally and globally. The Zoo is a private nonprofit organization that operates on 235 acres of land owned by the Forest Preserves of Cook County and is home to more than 3,500 animals representing over 500 species, including many of Earth’s most endangered. Brookfield Zoo Chicago was the first zoo in the world to be awarded the Humane Certified™ certification mark for the care and welfare of its animals, is an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums and ArbNet. For more information, visit www.brookfieldzoo.org.