Fellow zoo-chasers,
I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news. April, one of the older female dolphins at the MN Zoo, passed on Tuesday, Feb. 15th. She was estimated to be at least 44 in human years, which translates to late 80's/early 90's in dolphin years.
This was an especially hard shock for me, as April and I share a considerable amount of history. She was my 'first contact ever' for dolphins, back in 1974 at the old Marine World park in California. We got along right from the start.
Due to some misplaced records, two transfers, and a name change, I didn't encounter her again until the early 80's, when I visited a friend of mine who was, at the time, head trainer for the contract dolphin show at the Great America park in Gurnee, IL. I can never prove it, but her reaction to my arrival was such that I'd like to think she remembered me.
Her next stop was the Hawk's Cay facility, Key Largo, where she spent a number of years in their interactive program and giving birth to numerous youngsters. She was later transferred to the Minnesota Zoo, and there she stayed until just recently.
Exact cause of death is unknown at this time, as the results of the necropsy have yet to come back. I would be very much surprised if they showed anything other than simple old age.
Perhaps the weirdest part about the whole thing is the fact I had such a strong urge to visit Minnesota last year, both to attend UMN's raptor care workshop and to visit the Zoo (and April). I just had a feeling that it was going to be then or never for seeing her one last time.
Three and some-odd months later...
Happier travels.
I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news. April, one of the older female dolphins at the MN Zoo, passed on Tuesday, Feb. 15th. She was estimated to be at least 44 in human years, which translates to late 80's/early 90's in dolphin years.
This was an especially hard shock for me, as April and I share a considerable amount of history. She was my 'first contact ever' for dolphins, back in 1974 at the old Marine World park in California. We got along right from the start.
Due to some misplaced records, two transfers, and a name change, I didn't encounter her again until the early 80's, when I visited a friend of mine who was, at the time, head trainer for the contract dolphin show at the Great America park in Gurnee, IL. I can never prove it, but her reaction to my arrival was such that I'd like to think she remembered me.
Her next stop was the Hawk's Cay facility, Key Largo, where she spent a number of years in their interactive program and giving birth to numerous youngsters. She was later transferred to the Minnesota Zoo, and there she stayed until just recently.
Exact cause of death is unknown at this time, as the results of the necropsy have yet to come back. I would be very much surprised if they showed anything other than simple old age.
Perhaps the weirdest part about the whole thing is the fact I had such a strong urge to visit Minnesota last year, both to attend UMN's raptor care workshop and to visit the Zoo (and April). I just had a feeling that it was going to be then or never for seeing her one last time.
Three and some-odd months later...
Happier travels.
