Medical staff used an endoscope and surgical tools to remove waterproof construction materials from the stomach of the dolphin Xiaoku, with the help of veterinarians and keepers at the Fuyang Andover Ocean Park in Fuyang city, East China's Anhui Province, on January 13, 2021.

Xiaoku, a 10-year-old Pacific bottlenose dolphin, is about 4 meters long. With an attractive appearance, the highly skilled Xiaoku is a superstar performer in many children’s eyes.

The surgery was conducted with the help of medical staff from the department of gastroenterology of the No.2 People’s Hospital of Fuyang City.

Previous efforts to force the dolphin to vomit and to pull out the material with a human arm failed. (Translated by He Jinying; Photos: people.com.cn)

The material removed from Xiaoku's stomach

The materials removed from Xiaoku's stomach