Sad News Today; Dolphin Dies

The mother of the baby that died last month at the Minnesota Zoo, has passed away at 35. Mother of 4, she was the matriarch of the bottlenose family at the Zoo.

This is the live dolphin webcam home I watch every day. After the loss of the baby, the mother, Rio, died unexpectedly.

I mourn with my oceanic friends and their trainers.

Today on the cam the other dolphins are visibly sad and shaken. They are swimming very slow and listlessly.

Real player video link: http://mfile.akamai.com/12940/live/reflector:24071.ram

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http://www.lacrossetribune.com/articles/2006/03/07/mn/dolphin.txt

APPLE VALLEY, Minn. (AP) — The Minnesota Zoo has lost another dolphin.

Rio, the zoo's oldest female dolphin, died Monday night. She was 35. Zoo officials were running tests to determine the cause of death.

The Atlantic bottlenose dolphin arrived at the Minnesota Zoo in 1980 from the New York Aquarium. During her 26 years at the zoo, Rio gave birth to four calves.

One of Rio's calves, Harley, died in January after fracturing his skull when he jumped out of the water and hit his head on the concrete deck.

The zoo has four Atlantic bottlenose dolphins left.