LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — The Siegfried & Roy’s Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat will permanently close its doors after more than 30 years on the Las Vegas Strip.
The closure comes after MGM announced it was going to sell The Mirage to Hard Rock International.
According to a letter sent to Mirage employees, Hard Rock’s leadership team has spent months considering options and has determined that the best course of action is to “wind down” and eventually permanently close the Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat prior to the commencement of construction of the Guitar Hotel and other planned redevelopments.
As for the animals, the company has developed a plan to permanently relocate the animals to new homes where “they will continue to be loved and cared for by well-trained, highly respected animal care professionals and veterinary experts,” The Mirage said.
The Dolphin Habitat has been temporarily closed so that outside experts and an animal care team can conduct a thorough review of the animals and the facility. It has not been determined when the facility will reopen or in what capacity, according to The Mirage.
Since April, there have been three dolphins on display at the Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat that have died.
On Sept. 24, K2, an 11-year-old bottlenose dolphin died after receiving treatment for respiratory illness.
On Sept. 2, the Mirage said Maverick, a 19-year-old bottlenose dolphin at the same facility died after being treated for a lung infection.
In April, Bella, a 13-year-old bottlenose dolphin died after receiving treatment for several months for gastroenteritis, according to MGM.
Wild bottlenose dolphins typically have lifespans of 40 to 60 years, according to the National Marine Fisheries Service.
