A manatee named Hugh has died from internal injuries sustained while having “intense” sex with his brother Buffett.
Hugh and Buffett had lived in the aquarium together for 27 years.
But on April 29, Hugh unexpectedly died after a day of rough sex with his brother
Necropsy results released last week by the United States Department of Agriculture revealed that Hugh died as a result of “high intensity” sex with his larger brother who caused a 14.5-centimetre rip in his colon.
According to the report, after the animals’ first sexual encounter on April 29, researchers found blood in Hugh’s colon but the pair were allowed to continue mating throughout the day.
Buffett finally became tired and swam away from Hugh but it was too late, the smaller manatee was found dead at the bottom of the pool.
Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium published a statement on their Facebook page on June 26 to explain the incident.
The statement explained that the pair had engaged in natural yet increased mating behaviour on the day Hugh passed.
It said the animal care team observed the pair initiating and mutually seeking interactions with each other throughout the day and “there were no obvious signs of discomfort or distress”.
On the advice of veterinarians, the team chose to use distractions over separation to reduce the pair’s undesirable behaviour.
“There were no obvious signs of discomfort or distress such as listing, crunching, or active avoidance that would have triggered a need for intervention,” the statement read.
Some aquarium visitors weren’t satisfied with this response though.
“So in an effort to avoid ‘undue stress and anxiety’ by separating them, you ultimately did more harm by having one die and the other now experiencing untold stress and anxiety. Well done,” Denise wrote in response to the statement.
“I love how aquatic attractions pander to tourists and use terms such as ‘managed care’ in place of what it really is— ‘captivity’ ‘confinement’ & ‘servitude’. They should have not been born in confinement, and should not have lived their lives in confinement,” Emily added.
On the aquarium’s website Buffett is described as one of Mote’s “most charismatic residents”.
“He’s one of the only manatees in the world trained to participate in voluntary, detailed behavioural research designed to aid manatee conservation”.
Hugh and Buffett had lived in the aquarium together for 27 years.
But on April 29, Hugh unexpectedly died after a day of rough sex with his brother
Necropsy results released last week by the United States Department of Agriculture revealed that Hugh died as a result of “high intensity” sex with his larger brother who caused a 14.5-centimetre rip in his colon.
According to the report, after the animals’ first sexual encounter on April 29, researchers found blood in Hugh’s colon but the pair were allowed to continue mating throughout the day.
Buffett finally became tired and swam away from Hugh but it was too late, the smaller manatee was found dead at the bottom of the pool.
Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium published a statement on their Facebook page on June 26 to explain the incident.
The statement explained that the pair had engaged in natural yet increased mating behaviour on the day Hugh passed.
It said the animal care team observed the pair initiating and mutually seeking interactions with each other throughout the day and “there were no obvious signs of discomfort or distress”.
On the advice of veterinarians, the team chose to use distractions over separation to reduce the pair’s undesirable behaviour.
“There were no obvious signs of discomfort or distress such as listing, crunching, or active avoidance that would have triggered a need for intervention,” the statement read.
Some aquarium visitors weren’t satisfied with this response though.
“So in an effort to avoid ‘undue stress and anxiety’ by separating them, you ultimately did more harm by having one die and the other now experiencing untold stress and anxiety. Well done,” Denise wrote in response to the statement.
“I love how aquatic attractions pander to tourists and use terms such as ‘managed care’ in place of what it really is— ‘captivity’ ‘confinement’ & ‘servitude’. They should have not been born in confinement, and should not have lived their lives in confinement,” Emily added.
On the aquarium’s website Buffett is described as one of Mote’s “most charismatic residents”.
“He’s one of the only manatees in the world trained to participate in voluntary, detailed behavioural research designed to aid manatee conservation”.
Typical male prison behavior. Poor Hugh.
