In partnership with fellow AZA-accredited institution Brookfield Zoo in Illinois, the Minnesota Zoo is assisting with the temporary housing of seven bottlenose dolphins. These dolphins were transported to the Minnesota Zoo from Brookfield Zoo on November 2. The animals are being given time to acclimate behind the scenes and the Zoo will announce on social media when they will be publicly visible.

The animals will remain in Minnesota while Brookfield Zoo embarks on a renovation of its dolphin habitat. Seven animal care specialists from Brookfield Zoo will remain in Minnesota to provide daily care, enrichment, and training, supported by Minnesota Zoo staff. Once renovation work is complete, the dolphins will return to Illinois.

“The Minnesota Zoo has a long history of partnering with sister institutions in the fields of animal care, health, and conservation,” said Minnesota Zoo Director John Frawley. “By temporarily providing housing to Brookfield’s dolphins, as we similarly did in 2009, we are assisting our colleagues in Illinois as they make habitat improvements, while also helping connect Minnesotans to this incredible species and the importance of ocean conservation.”

“We are grateful to our colleagues at the Minnesota Zoo for providing a space for our dolphins while their home habitat is being renovated,” said Rita Stacey, Vice President of Animal Programs for the Chicago Zoological Society. “The size of the marine mammal pools at the Minnesota Zoo allows our entire dolphin group to remain together, which helps in the acclimation to their new temporary home.”

For five of the seven dolphins, this is a return visit to Minnesota. This includes Spree, who was born at the Minnesota Zoo in 2002, and Allie who came to the Minnesota Zoo in 2008. The other three females, Tapeko, Noelani, and Allison, all spent time at the Minnesota Zoo in late 2009, while upgrades were being made to their habitat at Brookfield Zoo. For the two males, Lucky and Kai, this will be their first time in Minnesota.

The Minnesota Zoo housed dolphins until 2012. The dolphins being cared for at that time were moved and integrated into larger groups at partner institutions. For the wellbeing of dolphins, they need to live in social groups, and the Dolphin Consortium – a partnership program of a select number of accredited dolphin facilities that advises on dolphin care, placement, and genetic diversity within accredited zoos and aquariums - determined a proper social configuration was not available for the Minnesota Zoo.

Since then, the Zoo has played a critical role in housing Hawaiian monk seals, one of the most endangered marine mammals in the world. In 2015, a group of five senior, non-releasable Hawaiian monk seals joined the Minnesota Zoo to be ambassadors for their wild counterparts. The Minnesota Zoo has been the only institution to house this species within the continental United States. As the years have gone by, the group of Hawaiian monk seals has become smaller, now with only one seal in the Zoo’s care – Ola, who turned 27 in June. Known for being a solitary species, Ola continues to receive the specialized care and enrichment she needs with her advanced age.

This new, temporary arrangement of housing dolphins provides Minnesotans with a unique opportunity to view another engaging marine mammal and learn about the importance of conserving our world’s shared ocean. Once the group fully acclimates, the dolphins will be visible in the Zoo’s Discovery Bay. The pools in Discovery Bay recently underwent a number of behind-the-scenes updates to allow for the dual care of dolphins and Ola – with Ola having solo access to the main pool at times, followed by dolphin-exclusive access.

Follow the Minnesota Zoo’s website and social media channels for updates on when the dolphins will be visible to the public.