Manatee Death at Mote Marine Caused By Traumatic Intimate Encounter

Hugh the manateePhoto byMote Marine

The big story

The death of 38-year-old manatee, Hugh, who passed away in April, at Mote Marine Aquarium and Laboratory has stirred controversy and grief among animal lovers. Recent investigation shows the beloved sea creature's demise might have been preventable.

The United States Department of Agriculture's necropsy report revealed that Hugh suffered a 14.5-centimeter tear in his colon and other traumatic injuries during a sexual encounter with a larger male manatee at the facility.

This has raised concerns about the handling and care of animals at Mote Marine.

The USDA inspection report criticized the facility for failing to handle Hugh properly, leading to his death. This contradicts the initial statement made by Mote Marine in April, which did not specify the cause of Hugh's sudden passing.

Our Mote Marine Laboratory family continues to mourn the passing of our beloved manatee Hugh. Throughout the events leading up to his passing, Mote acted within the professional standards and practices that we have observed throughout Hugh's 27 years with us, and as recommended by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and the Manatee Rescue and Rehabilitation Partnership.- Kevin Cooper, spokesperson, Mote Marine

Mote Marine is currently appealing the USDA's findings, aiming to address concerns and clear doubts about their animal care protocols.

Why it matters?

Hugh, born at the Miami Seaquarium, was relocated to Mote Marine in 1996. He and his tank-mate, Buffett, were trained for manatee research and gained fame for correctly picking NFL Super Bowl champions.

Sadly, Hugh is not the first beloved manatee to die in captivity in the Sarasota-Bradenton region. Snooty, the world's oldest known manatee, also faced a preventable incident in 2017 at The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature in Bradenton.

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