At Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies, cownose rays share space with southern stingrays , spotted eagle rats , and various small sharks in an 84,000-gallon tank.
Keeping their rays healthy is a top priority and they receive monthly ultrasounds.
Cownose ray pregnancies typically last a year and produce one pup. The staff was worried when one particular ray hadn’t pupped on time.
The staff kept a close eye on the ray, and after retaining the pup for an additional 6-8 weeks, they made the decision to have a cesarean section performed to remove the baby ray.
Cesarean sections are complicated surgeries for aquatic animals. Cownose ray pups are quite large when compared to their mother, requiring a longer incision to be made.
The procedure lasted an hour-and-a-half, but was a success!
Both rays are now swimming in the same tank, and the Aquarists report both mom and pup are thriving!
To our knowledge, this is the first time ray c-section has produced a live cownose pup!
