Pregnant stingray updates — Charlotte dies after reproductive disease diagnosis as aquarium shares heartbreaking news
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CHARLOTTE the stingray has died after months of speculation about her medical mystery.
The Aquarium & Shark Lab by Team ECCO announced the heartbreaking news this weekend.
“We are sad to announce, after continuing treatment with her medical care team and specialist, our ray Charlotte passed away today,” the team said Sunday night on Facebook.
“We are continuing to work with her medical care team and research specialist.”
The update comes after Team Ecco shared in May that Charlotte was diagnosed with a rare reproductive disease in a "truly a sad and unexpected medical development."
Charlotte, who lived in a tank at a North Carolina aquarium, was previously thought to be carrying three to four pups in a "once-in-a-lifetime science mystery" because she reportedly hadn't shared a tank with a male ray in at least eight years.
The aquarium remains temporarily closed after the sad loss.
Read our stingray pregnancy blog for the latest updates on Charlotte...
Aquarium announced pregnancy two weeks ago
On February 6, the aquarium took to Facebook to announce Charlotte's pregnancy.
"Our stingray, Charlotte, is expecting!" Team ECCO founder Brenda “B.J.” Ramer wrote in the .
"We have held this close to our hearts for over 3 months. We have ultrasound images confirmed by two supporters: Dr. Robert Jones, the Aquarium Vet out of Australia, and Becka Campbell, PhD candidate at Arizona State Univ.
";The really amazing thing is we have no male ray!" the announcement continued, adding that there are a "couple of possible reasons for this event."
"We hope you join us It is a once in a life time science mystery to take part in," the post concluded.
How Charlotte's pregnancy was revealed
In September, Team Ecco staff at the Aquarium and Shark Lab in Hendersonville noticed that Charlotte was beginning to swell up and were worried she may have cancer.
Ultrasounds instead revealed that the stingray was actually pregnant with several pups.
Pregnant stingray pictured
Charlotte, a round stingray believed to be around 12 to 16 years old, is expected to give birth any day now.
Credit: AFP
Charlotte the stingray is expecting
The Aquarium & Shark Lab by Team Ecco was recently rocked by the discovery that its stringray Charlotte was pregnant in a tank with no males.
Charlotte, who lives in a tank at the aquarium in Hendersonville, North Carolina, is carrying three to four pups.