A bottlenose dolphin who served in the Iraq War for the U.S. Navy has been euthanized, reports CBS News 8. The male dolphin, named Makai, was housed at the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command facility on San Diego Bay.
"Makai had been receiving critical care for ailments associated with old age," said SPAWAR Public Affairs Director James Fallin.
Navy officials announced Makai's death in response to CBS News 8 inquiries about the dolphin's health.
"Today, one of our eldest dolphins, a 46-year-old male named Makai, and one of our most celebrated veterans of the Iraq War, was peacefully and humanely put to rest. He was a beloved and accomplished member of the Navy Marine Mammal Program team, and an American hero who lived to be more than twice the average age of dolphins in the wild," a SPAWAR statement said on Tuesday.
Makai was one of about 85 dolphins and 55 sea lions trained by the Navy Marine Mammal Program to detect underwater mines and divers. He was deployed to the Persian Gulf in 2003 in support of the Iraq War.
Mackenzie Wolf is an editorial intern for Military Times.
