Stranded dolphin to move to Indianapolis Zoo

Taz, the male dolphin estimated to be 6 months old who has been healing at Mote for the past six weeks, soon will have a new home at the Indianapolis Zoo, where he can live with a suitable social group.

Taz was brought to Mote’s Dolphin and Whale Hospital Jan. 13 after stranding on a sandbar in the J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel Island. Bottlenose dolphins typically stay with their mothers until they are 3 to 6 years old and depend on them for food and protection and to help them learn how to feed independently.

Because Taz’s mother was nowhere in site, the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration’s National Marine Fisheries Service determined Taz should not be returned to the wild because he could not survive on his own.

Taz will live with seven other dolphins at the Indianapolis Zoo.

Since his arrival at Mote, Taz has gained more than 20 pounds. Mote staff and volunteers have monitored Taz around the clock for nearly 1,000 hours.

Contact Robin Hartill at [email protected].