Five pink dolphins - but no baby

They are one of the world's most loved creatures. But dolphins are notoriously hard to breed. In the last of three parts on animal-breeding programmes here, CHANG AI-LIEN looks at how pink dolphins woo, and other underwater courtships.

DOLPHINS are one of the most difficult mammals to breed because they are aquatic and not much is known about them.

HEALTH CHECK: Jumbo is given an ultrasound scan by Dr Chua (top) and trainer Michael Wan. -- JAMES HODSON

This is especially so for the Indo-Pacific humpbacked dolphins - or pink dolphins - because they are highly-endangered and have not been studied, said Mr Bruce Mackay, curatorial director of Underwater World and the Dolphin Lagoon at Sentosa.

So the marine park's pink dolphin-breeding programme started from scratch.

Although the two recent dolphin pregnancies at the Dolphin Lagoon did not result in baby dolphins, the information gleaned from the experience is invaluable, he said.

This included following the females' ovulation, the development of the foetuses and the monitoring of the pregnancies, which have never been done before.

One of the pregnancies ended in miscarriage last year; in the other, the baby died shortly after it was born in February.

But the first live birth of a pink dolphin is already a step forward, said Mr Mackay.

Looking visibly upset when speaking about the deaths, he explained how difficult it is to breed the creatures.

'We want people to know that we can't just put two animals together and get a baby.

'A breeding programme takes time and understanding. We've tried once, and we're prepared to do so again.'

He explained that the loss of a foetus is common even in the wild, especially for new, inexperienced mothers.

The park's veterinarian, Dr Frederic Chua, explained: 'When a dolphin calf is born, the mother has to prop the calf above the water and coordinate its first breath with reaching the water's surface, while at the same time maintaining its balance.

'But they do learn.'

The marine park has five dolphins, three are female and two, male. All were brought in from Thailand in 1999.

The creatures are born grey, but lose their skin pigment as they grow older, resulting in the smooth, pink skin that gives them their trademark name.

Nothing is left to chance in the day-to-day care of the mammals, added Dr Chua.

'Dolphins, like all aquatic animals, are very good at hiding their symptoms when they are pregnant or not well, because of the hostile world they live in.

'If they look ill, that means it's really serious and they probably won't make it.'

So blood samples are taken once a month, to look at their white and red blood cell counts, haemoglobin levels and the various enzymes present.

These can give early warning of stress, injuries, illness and pregnancy.

The animals are also given ultrasound scans so their internal organs can be examined. When an animal is pregnant, such scans are also used to monitor the growth and health of mother and baby.

Even the dolphins' blow- holes, faeces, food and the water in the lagoon are tested constantly.

The National University Hospital's obstetrics and gynaecology department, which does the blood analysis, is collaborating in getting baseline data on the females' ovulation cycles.

When enough is known about this, semen can then be collected from the males to inseminate the females artificially, said Dr Chua.

But it is likely to be several years before this is attempted.

'The dolphin's uterus structure is different, so the equipment we use on people, and even cows, for artificial insemination can't be used on them.

'This is really ground-breaking stuff.'