Sudden Death Of 12 Stingrays At ZooTampa Remains Mystery

TAMPA, FL — The animal care and veterinary teams at ZooTampa at Lowry Park are trying to determine why 12 stingrays at the zoo died suddenly on Thursday.

The stingrays were all housed in Stingray Bay at the zoo, a closed system occupied by only stingrays.

"It's with heavy hearts we share that today ZooTampa lost 12 residents of Stingray Bay," announced the zoo on its Facebook page Thursday.

Stingray Bay will remain closed to the public while the animal care and veterinary teams examine all the mechanical equipment and test the water in an effort to discover the cause of death. So far, tests indicate the water quality is optimal and all the equipment is functioning normally. Zoo officials said it may take several weeks before they receive all the test results.

The zoo's veterinary staff will conduct necropsies on the stingrays to determine the cause of death.

"Please keep our team in your thoughts — every professional here loves the animals we care for, and any loss is a difficult one," said zoo officials.

In addition to serving visitors, ZooTampa is a research and education institution, with a staff of world-renowned veterinarians, marine biologists and wildlife biologists on staff.

The zoo is home to the Catherine Lowry Straz Veterinary Hospital, which provides medical services for the more than 300 species and is the only veterinary facility inside a zoo that has been accredited by the American Animal Hospital Association.

ZooTampa at Lowry Park is one of the state's top facilities for the rehabilitation of endangered Florida species.

Most recently, the zoo has partnered with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission on a number of studies including a rare neurological disorder discovered in Florida panthers and the cause of a rising number of manatee deaths in 2021.

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