Another baby dolphin has died at the Brookfield Zoo Chicago, this time carried by the dolphin Allie, the zoo announced via a press release.

Allie, a 38-year-old dolphin, gave birth to the calf during the evening of Sunday, Oct. 25, but the baby’s “death occurred within seconds,” according to the zoo.

Via the press release:

Today we are devastated to share some difficult news regarding bottlenose dolphin Allie and her calf expected this fall. As we shared in August, our animal care and veterinary teams closely monitored Allie throughout her pregnancy, with great care, preparation, and hope for a successful birth. On Sunday evening, Allie gave birth to her calf, but heartbreakingly, the calf did not survive. The calf did not take its first breath following delivery.

Our animal care and veterinary teams were positioned poolside throughout the delivery, fully prepared to intervene if needed, including the use of a specialized medical lift to assist with delivery and immediate calf care. Despite their extraordinary preparation and swift response, the calf’s death occurred within seconds, before any intervention could be undertaken. Our teams responded immediately and did everything possible under the circumstances.

Our pathology team has performed a necropsy, and we are awaiting results to better understand what may have occurred. At this time, no obvious abnormalities have been identified based on our initial assessments.

Allie and Allison, a 20-year-old dolphin at the zoo, both have lost multiple calves during their time at Brookfield Zoo Chicago.

In September, Allison gave birth to a calf that died a week after its birth.

Allie’s calf born last week is the third dolphin calf that has died in the past two years at the zoo. In June 2025, a four-day-old calf died suddenly after Allie gave birth to it.

In its press release, Brookfield Zoo Chicago says one in five documented bottlenose dolphin calves did not survive their first year, according to a study conducted by their Sarasota Dolphin Research Program team.

Following the death of her calf, Allie has been reunited with her close companion Tapeko, another female bottlenose dolphin, according to the zoo.