First Manta ray born in captivity in Japan dies --after being abused by its father

[elehhhhna]

June 21, 2007, 5:59AM
First Manta ray born in captivity in Japan dies after 4 1/2 days

TOKYO — A giant manta ray baby that was believed to be the first born in captivity died today after being abused by its father, Japanese keepers said.

The female baby manta was born Saturday at the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium, more than a year after its parents mated.

The baby manta, which was more than 6 feet wide, was pronounced dead this morning after living only 4 1/2 days, the aquarium said in a statement.

"To our greatest regret, (the baby) didn't last very long, despite our meticulous care," it said.

Keepers believe the baby died of bruises and cuts, apparently caused by its abusive father that constantly chased after the baby, often slamming into it, the aquarium said.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/world/4908195.html

[Hawkeye-X]

1. the daddy manta ray SO has to be...

a Republican! *blinks innocently*

[BikeWriter]

2. So they didn't know they're territorial?

[elehhhhna]

3. evidently the "parents" run the youngun's off --

in nature.

[BikeWriter]

8. That's how I got it figured out. That would spread the species...

instead they confined them and got it killed.

[Bucky]

4. That's odd. Why would a wild animal behave like this.... ?

... while they're living in, you know, such a healthy natural environment like an enclosed aquarium?
.

[Marrah_G]

5. They do the same in the wild

Most creatures do not parent and those who do rarely include the father. Some male animals will eat a young of their species.

I am surprise the young one was not separated from the others immediately. I thought that was pretty common zoo practice to ensure the survival of the offspring.

[Henryman]

6. "meticulous care" ....right! n/t

[LisaL]

11. Yea, exactly. It's a known fact that in some animal species fathers

will eat their offsprings. Maybe the zoo doesn't have another aquarium, but they should have put father somewhere else.

[BlooInBloo]

12. Mmmm.... that's some Grade A snark!

[Matsubara]

7. Why does this make me so sad?

I feel like I'm such a pushover these days. :cry:

My kids have a couple of red-eared slider turtles, and I swear they are so cute, I know we'd all be so sad if anything ever happened to them.

When I was a kid we had cats and dogs, but I never imagined I could feel somthing for cold-blooded non-fuzzy animals.


But the whole idea of something as beautiful and rare as a manta born in captivity dying in such a way is terribly sad.

[The Stranger]

9. Having destroyed the Wild, we tried to cheat Nature by "reproducing" animals in captivity.

Like the Yellow River dolphins and the notoriously failed efforts to reproduce them before extinction, Nature refuses to be cheated.

[never_get_over_it]

10. And they didn't separate the baby and father because.....?

just asking....