A baby dolphin born earlier this month at the National Aquarium has died. Aquarium officials said the 11-day-old Atlantic bottlenose dolphin calf died early Sunday.
A necropsy was conducted to determine the cause of death. Results are expected in a week or two. Dr. Brent Whitaker, the aquarium's deputy executive director for biological programs, said infection is the likeliest cause of death, although a genetic abnormality is also possible. The female calf was born on March 10.
Aquarium officials noted that one-third of dolphin calves don't survive their first year, either in the wild or in captivity. The calf's mother remains in good health. The mother gave birth to another calf that survived and is now 3 years old.
Source: www.wbaltv.com
No comments:
Post a Comment