Dolphin Dies on Gulf Duty
A Navy dolphin sent to the Persian Gulf to assist U.S. forces in minesweeping operations died last week, apparently of natural causes, the Navy said Wednesday.
The dolphin, one of six that arrived in the gulf on Oct. 13, died on Oct. 29, the Navy said. “The exact cause of death will not be known until a complete autopsy is conducted,” it said.
The Navy declined further comment. But a Pentagon official who asked not to be named said it appeared that the dolphin might have died of a bacterial infection.
“There was no hostile action involved,” the source said.
The Pentagon said on Oct. 22 that it had dispatched the mammals at the request of the U.S. commander in the gulf “to provide an underwater surveillance and detection capability.”
There was a rash of deaths last year among native dolphins in the Persian Gulf. About 200 dolphins were stricken there in September, 1986. Scientists searched for months for the cause, but none was ever established.
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