Fourth bottlenose dolphin dies at Dolphinaris Arizona in less than two years
A bottlenose dolphin died at a marine habitat in Arizona, making it the fourth mammal to die at the facility in less than two years.
A bottlenose dolphin died at a marine habitat in Arizona, making it the fourth mammal to die at the facility in less than two years.
Dolphinaris Arizona in Scottsdale announced the death of Kai, a 22-year-old bottlenose dolphin who was euthanized on Thursday, FOX10 Phoenix reported. The facility said Kai had been having trouble swimming, breathing and eating for about two weeks.
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Kai’s death comes one month after Khloe, an 11-year-old bottlenose dolphin, passed away on New Year’s Eve. Two other bottlenose dolphins, named Bodie and Alia, died in September 2017 and May 2018, respectively.
"We recognize losing four dolphins over the last year and a half is abnormal," Christian Schaeffer, the general manager of Dolphinaris, said in a statement, according to ABC 15. "We will be taking proactive measures to increase our collaborative efforts to further ensure our dolphins' well-being and high quality of life."
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The marine habitat, which allows people to swim with dolphins, opened its doors in 2016 under a cloud of local opposition. AZ Central reported more than 135,000 people signed a petition opposing the facility and housing dolphins in the desert.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said bottlenose dolphins can live between 30 to 50 years.
