ANI-236: Cruiser

Meet our first and newest edition to the zoo, Cruiser!

Cruiser was brought in after whale watchers notified authorities that they saw a dolphin with a missing dorsal fin, likely caused by him getting too close to a ship or boat. Authorities assured them that the dolphin would be fine out in the ocean, but to keep an eye out for him and to notify them if he seemed to be struggling to survive. Unfortunately, Cruiser seems to have not learned to avoid boats and ships. Instead, his curiosity for humans has further increased, and he consistently went up to humans, void of all fear. He had a tendency to follow fishing boats, feeding off of any of the fish that didn't make it into the net or fell out. Authorities were worried that the dolphin's curiosity would get him further injured or caught up in one of the fishing nets, and captured the dolphin. After the dolphin was given a vet check by a local wildlife veterinarian, authorities confirmed that the dolphin was healthy. With a clean bill of health, the dolphin was brought to Solitude Restoration Reserve as a permanent resident. Cruiser will never be released to the wild, as his own curiosity in the wild is a danger to him. Guests and zoo staff enjoy spending time with him, and he enjoys acting goofy for snackies, especially for sardines.

While Cruiser gets along with the staff that care for him, the zoo hopes to eventually bring in another dolphin or two for him to socialize with, believing that it may help to stimulate him and keep his mental health up. They also hope that he may help the other dolphins get more acquainted and familiar with the human zoo staff. Maybe if they see him interacting with the humans, they will be more obligated to do so, as well.

Name: Cruiser [permanent resident]
Species: Bottlenose Dolphin
Sex: Male
Lineage: Unknown x unknown
Link to Exhibit/Zoo profile: Open Ocean Exhibit at Solitude Restoration Reserve
Art Log: Toyhouse

• Ref - 2 FM (fullbody + shading)