Tragic story of virgin stingray that ‘acquired pregnant in tank by herself’

After ten months of retaining us all on tenterhooks, the story of Charlotte the virgin stingray resulted in tragedy.

The aquatic animal gained a military of followers and impressed numerous memes after her story started sweeping social media, as her miraculous conception was fairly outstanding.

She referred to as an aquarium in North Carolina dwelling and was cared for by consultants who make up Staff Ecco, who’re primarily based out of the Aquarium and Shark Lab within the US state.

Earlier than she turned well-known on-line, Charlotte lived a fairly common life – however that each one modified in September 2023 after she started rising suspiciously swollen.

Employees on the aquarium carried out an ultrasound on the stingray and found that she was pregnant with 4 pups.

Check out this:



Brenda Ramer, the aquarium’s founder and government director, instructed the The Information and Observer on the time: “We have been all like, ‘Shut the again door! There’s no method’.”

“We thought we have been overfeeding her,” Ramer added. “However we have been overfeeding her as a result of she has extra mouths to feed.”

However as Charlotte did not share her tank with any males, consultants have been left baffled – so, naturally, she then turned generally known as the animal world’s equal to the Virgin Mary.

Varied theories flitted round about how the rust-coloured spherical stingray ended up with baby, earlier than scientists concluded that her being pregnant should have been right down to a phenomena generally known as parthenogenesis.

This can be a type of asexual replica that happen species such reptiles, bugs and a few fish, the place a feminine of the species can produce an embryo regardless of the absence of sperm fertilising her eggs.

Staff ECCO shared common updates on Charlotte’s progress to maintain animal-lovers within the loop on how she was getting on, however rapidly, issues went a bit quiet.

In Might 2024, her carers then broke the information that the stingray had sadly developed a ‘uncommon reproductive illness that negatively impacted her reproductive system’.

The group mentioned there was little data of the situation however they have been actively researching it and hoped their findings would ‘positively contribute to science and be of profit to different rays sooner or later’.

Tragically only a month later, Staff ECCO introduced that medics had discovered that Charlotte was ‘now not pregnant as a result of her reproductive illness’.

In June 2024, the aquarium defined that she was nonetheless ‘content material’ and continued to stay to her ‘regular routine’, whereas thanking folks across the globe for his or her ‘continued help and concern’.

“The medical group preformed their bi-weekly in individual evaluation final evening on the aquarium and reported that Charlotte is steady and continues to point out no lower in urge for food or exercise,” the assertion from Staff ECCO mentioned.

“The medical consultants are reviewing extra ultrasounds and testing which were collected and despatched out for suggestions for remedy choices and we’ll collaborate on a medical care plan for Charlotte primarily based on all the medical file, and choices obtainable to her.”

Sadly, additional heartbreak adopted – as just some weeks after her being pregnant loss, Charlotte herself handed away.

Staff ECCO mentioned in a put up on 1 July, 2024: “We’re unhappy to announce, after persevering with remedy along with her medical care group and specialist, our ray Charlotte handed away at the moment.”

The brief assertion thanked followers for his or her ‘love and help’, however didn’t go into additional element about Charlotte’s loss of life.

Nonetheless, Charlotte’s legacy lives on – as from time to time, you may see her title crop up on social media as soon as once more.

And let’s have it proper – what number of different stingrays are you aware who’ve impressed a Saturday Night time Dwell sketch and a made it into Jimmy Kimmel’s monologue on his hit speak present?

A real legend. Relaxation in peace, Charlotte.