Bottlenose dolphin calf born at Brookfield Zoo for first time in over a decade

Bottlenose dolphin calf born at Brookfield Zoo Chicago

For the first time since 2014, a bottlenose dolphin calf was born at Brookfield Zoo Chicago on Saturday.

BROOKFIELD, Ill. - Brookfield Zoo Chicago welcomed a new member to its family early Saturday morning with the birth of a bottlenose dolphin calf.

What we know:

The calf was born at 12:22 a.m., the first calf born at the zoo in over a decade.

Brookfield Zoo Chicago welcomed a new member to its family early Saturday morning with the birth of a bottlenose dolphin calf. (Brookfield Zoo Chicago)

The zoo's veterinarians estimate the calf weighs between 33 and 37 pounds and is 115 to 120 centimeters long.

The mother dolphin, Allie, had the help of Tapeko, an experienced mother, who guided the newborn up to the surface for its first breath.

"While these are still very early days, our dedicated animal care and veterinary teams are closely monitoring both Allie and her calf minute-by-minute to track important developmental milestones. So far, both mom and baby appear healthy and thriving!" the zoo said in a Facebook post.

Brookfield Zoo Chicago welcomed a new member to its family early Saturday morning with the birth of a bottlenose dolphin calf. (Brookfield Zoo Chicago)

Zoo staff will be introducing the calf to the public sometime in the near future.