Young dolphin dies at Chicago-area zoo

CHICAGO, Jan. 14 (UPI) -- Staff members at the suburban Chicago Brookfield Zoo were trying to determine Monday what illness killed a young Atlantic bottlenose dolphin.

Micco, a 6-year-old male, had been receiving antibiotics since last month when his eating habits changed but he went into distress Sunday, the Chicago Tribune reported.

Trainers and handlers dove into the water and administered CPR and injected heart stimulants but Micco didn't respond, the report said.

Zoo officials said initial postmortem reports indicate a severe infection in his trachea, which is the No. 1 cause of death in dolphins, both in captivity and in the wild, said Kim Smith, vice president of animal care.

Micco was one of Brookfield's eight dolphins, a group that includes his 12-year-old mother and 25-year-old grandmother, the report said.