Dunham, the Atlantic bottlenose dolphin that was released yesterday morning after eight months in rehab recovering from pneumonia, got only a taste of the freedom. Within a couple hours of being freed off the coast of Dunedin, the dolphin was attacked by sharks and died.
Officials with the Clearwater Marine Aquarium were quiet about specifics, but they were troubled by the death of the mammal they nursed back from near-death in December.
"This is a stab to the heart of these people who cared for him," said Jeni Hatter, spokeswoman for the aquarium.
Hatter said that a couple of hours after he was released, Dunham met up with a pair of sharks, and they did what sharks do: attacked and severely injured the dolphin. Biologists were nearby in boats monitoring the movements of the dolphin, which had a radio transmitter attached to its dorsal fin.
They rushed to help but ended up euthanizing Dunham because of the severity of the injuries.
With news video and photo gallery.
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