Dolphin dies in mysterious circumstances at Las Vegas casino

Beetle the Dolphin, a 12-year-old bottlenose dolphin at The Mirage Hotel and Casino’s aquatic habitat, died on Tuesday.

Beetle the dolphin, resident of The Mirage Hotel Las Vegas, died on Tuesday. Image by Richard Martin / CC BY 2.0

Pathologists are still trying to work out the cause of death, as the dolphin died at a relatively young age – male bottlenose dolphins can live as long as 40 to 45 years old. The president and CEO of The Mirage said that the company has ‘lost a beloved member of our dolphin family.’ Ten dolphins are housed in the hotel and casinos aquatic habitat, and the animals are used in tours that include swimming with dolphins.

Such enclosures have been criticised by animal rights groups, who say the captivity of marine mammals is harmful and stressful to the animals, and these conditions are exacerbated by human interaction. A spokesperson for The Mirage said a necropsy will be performed on the animal to determine the cause of death. Read more: reviewjournal.com