Bonnie was a female bottlenose dolphin originally from Cuba (perhaps born in 1976), where she was captured in 1988. In that same year, Bonnie arrived in Italy at the Dolphinarium in Riccione: she probably acquired her name only upon arrival at the facility,as, a few years earlier, there lived a homonymous one, who died in 1987 at the Nervi dolphinarium, in the province of Genoa. Upon his arrival, Bonnie began her cohabitation with other dolphins such as Pelè , Bravo , Candy and Anay . In 1993, a new dolphin arrived at the facility, a young male named Clyde: in that same year, Bonnie was transferred to the Genoa Aquarium along with a young male named Micha, from the same capture group. On September 5, 1994, Bonnie gave birth to her first calf, a girl who was later named Cleo . The father turned out to be Clyde, who unfortunately died in 1995. At the same time as Clyde's death, Micha was again transferred to the Aquatic World in Cattolica: the reason seems to be connected to the heavy harassment of Bonnie herself, who became very protective of her daughter.