At the end of April, the manatee bull Hugh died in an aquarium in Sarasota, Florida. His death was unexpected and the cause of death was initially unclear. Three months later, the aquarium provided more details on the circumstances.
The autopsy has revealed: The animal died as a result of too violent sex – with his brother. Manatee bulls Hugh and Buffet lived together in a tank for 27 years. On the day of Hugh’s death, the two showed “natural but heightened mating behavior,” the aquarium said in its summary of the autopsy results. This in itself is not unusual, as the manatees temporarily change their behavior for two months each year, including their sexual habits – behavior that is also observed in the wild.
Nevertheless, it was the first time that such intensive mating behavior was observed in the two brothers. “You could see that Hugh and Buffett were initiating and seeking mutual interactions throughout the day and there were no signs of discomfort or stress,” the aquarium explained. But Hugh apparently suffered serious injuries: during the autopsy of his cadaver, a 14.5 centimeter long tear in the colon was discovered. Internal bleeding ultimately led to death. The manatee was 38 years old.
Aquarium staff did not attempt to separate the two bulls, only attempted to distract them. Physical separation has caused anxiety and other negative effects in both animals in the past, the aquarium said.
However, such mating behavior of manatees is by no means unusual. Sexual interactions also often occur between relatives, veterinarian Jenessa Gjeltema from the University of California told NBC News: “They don’t choose carefully who their partners are. They just have a sexual urge and get active with anyone who does is in the vicinity.” It doesn’t always have to be a female.
Sources: Mote Marine Laboratory
