Captive Cetaceans:19-Year-Old Bottlenose Dolphin Dies in MGM Resorts, And It's Not the First Time

Maverick, a 19-year-old bottlenose dolphin, recently died from a lung infection at the Las Vegas Mirage Casino.

According to MGM Resorts, Maverick is the second dolphin to die at the Mirage Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat in five months.

13-year-old Bella, another bottlenose, was the first dolphin to die at the said resort due to gastroenteritis last April.

The welfare group, Ric O'Barry's Dolphin Project, said that since the casino opened in 1990, it had a 64 percent death rate. Aside from Maverick and Bella, the casino had ten other dolphins who stayed there for more than 20 years. A total of 14 dolphins died in the casino; the majority were of a similar age to Maverick or less than, supporting the claim of the welfare group about the death rate.

The Cetaceans Nature

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported that male bottlenose dolphins usually have a life expectancy of 40 years, while females live longer than males for more than 50 years.

These kinds of dolphins are very sociable animals and are considered one of the smartest species on earth.

Mirage's Siegfried and Roy Secret Garden dolphin's flat is an open ocean where these mammals can swim freely, and the casino's pool is situated in 2.5 million gallons of water.

The casino's swimming pool edges had been an active target for biting and chewing since these dolphins love to bite and enthusiastically play with their trainers.

In a statement from Newsweek, MGM Resorts' senior vice president for hospitality, Franz Kallao, said that their animal care team works tactfully with the marine animal experts and vets to ensure the health of the animals will not be compromised. He added that they would continue to monitor and provide the best care those dolphins deserve year-round.

Kallao added that they would initiate weekly physical examinations and meetings with veterinarians to review all factors related to the welfare of all the animals and their behavioral and water attributes. "Nothing is more important than the health, safety, and happiness of the animals entrusted to our care," he added.

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(Photo: Courtesy of Steve Marcus | Las Vegas Sun)
Bottlenose dolphins taking a rest before a show in Las Vegas Mirage Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat

Bottlenose Common Health Problems On the Surface

Before his death, Maverick had photos of skin lesions and rashes due to an infection of poxvirus, a common skin illness to bottlenose dolphins.

Aside from the poxvirus infection, bottlenose can also have sunburn than most other animals; since these performing dolphins interact with human trainers, they are not always underwater, making them prone to skin conditions, aside from the fact that they lack fur.

Ric O'Barry's Dolphin Project said that bottlenose doesn't have a permanent structure in their habitat, meaning that these swimming mammals cannot find shade between the sun's harmful hours, which is common in the average temperature of Las Vegas during summer, which is 104 degrees Fahrenheit.

The organization also emphasized that "captive dolphins" face much boredom and stress even with competitive facilities. According to Dr. Naomi Rose from the Animal Welfare Institute, the bites on pool edges indicate that these cetaceans are bored and just waiting for their food during their performance, ruining the nature of the dolphins.