The zoo's current Pacific coast tank was once home to Amazon River dolphins, as well as giant amazon river turtles, including Onassis who still lives at the zoo today!
Credit: Milwaukee County Park Commission 1973
@birdsandbats I believe the dolphins actually did alright at Milwaukee compared to the other zoos that took a crack at keeping them during this time, but that doesn't make this pool any less gruesome.
@birdsandbats@pachyderm pro I saw the old river dolphin pool at Duisburg in Germany in the late 1990's/early 2000's, before the two now deceased individuals moved to their final exhibit. That tank was very similar to this and probably about the same size. Shockingly small indeed.
I always find it interesting that the freshwater dolphins at Milwaukee and the Shedd did better than much of the rest of the country. Makes me wonder if they traded notes.
