LAPO: HIS FIRST FIN STROKE 

Blue ribbon at Rimini Dolphinarium.
On Saturday, July 28th, 2007, at 17.30 mum Alfa gave birth to LAPO,
a dolphin male calf 80cm long and weighing about 12 kg.
After a quick labour, Alfa, a 28 years old she-dolphin belonging
to the Tursiops truncatus species
coming from the Gulf of Mexico, made Speedy,
an Italian specimen of more than 30, the father.
After 6 hours since his birth, little LAPO sucked
from his mother breast with great greed
and now follows her discovering the environment
that surrounds him and interacting with his older siblings.
As a matter of fact, the Tursiops community
of Rimini Dolphinarium is a real family made up of
dad Speedy, mum Alfa and their 4 calves: Sole,
14 years old, Luna 12 years old, Rocco 3 years old
and little LAPO. Alfa and his LAPO have been monitored 24/7
during gestation, delivery and birth by the Rimini Dolphinarium’s staff
coordinated by Carlotta Severi, chief of trainers, and by a team
of biologist lead by Dr. Raffaella Tizzi.
With LAPO’s birth the study on gestation is closed
and now starts a new chapter on the study of the calf‘s
behavior and weaning.
The current research and monitoring are carried out in
collaboration with CNR-ISMAR of Ancona and with prestigious Italian universities.


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