The veterinarian who “confirmed” the immaculate conception of a stingray at a North Carolina aquarium has shared new details about Charlotte’s pregnancy.
The Aquarium & Shark Lab announced in February that Dr. Rob Jones was one of two people who confirmed that Charlotte had become pregnant without a partner.
Dr. Jones, founder of The Aquarium Vet in Australia, told DailyMail.com that he was sent ultrasound images as recently as January and thought they showed egg casings from what was a possible pregnancy – but he never confirmed this.
“I asked if they had seen any movement on the ultrasound and got no response,” he said, explaining that he had never suggested a shark had mated with the animal, which the North Carolina facility concluded in February.
The Hendersonville Aquarium also revealed Thursday that Charlotte has developed a rare reproductive disease and a scientist told DailyMail.com that the animal was likely never pregnant but is dying from the disease that caused her ovaries to swell.
Dr. Jones, founder of The Aquarium Vet in Australia, told DailyMail.com that he was sent ultrasound images as recently as January and thought they showed egg casings from what was a possible pregnancy.
He continued to explain that he was suggesting they could be pathogens, but never confirmed that this was true
DailyMail.com has attempted to contact Aquarium & Shark Lab several times but has yet to receive a response.
Larry Boles, director of the aquarium science program at Oregon Coast Community College, told DailyMail.com that older stingrays, like Charlotte, are susceptible to reproductive diseases that overload the uterus and lead to death if left untreated.
“The last video showed the animal in very poor body condition,” Boles said.
‘The story is no longer defensible. I don’t think she’ll live any longer, and I think it’s too late for care.”
Brenda Ramer started Team ECCO Ocean Center and Aquarium, also known as The Aquarium & Shark Lab, in 2009.
Before the big move, Ramer was a teacher for Henderson County for almost a decade. It is unclear which class or subjects she taught.
Team Ecco’s financials show that in 2022 they generated $169,00 in revenue, but had $202,00 in expenses and $110,000 in debt.
Charlotte’s story began in September when aquarium staff noticed her upper body was swelling.
The team said they thought it could be cancer, but after performing ultrasounds, they realized she was pregnant with multiple puppies and announced the news in a Facebook post on Feb. 6.
‘Our stingray, Charlotte, is pregnant! 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 Veterinarian from Australia, and Becka Campbell, PhD student at Arizona State Univ. The truly amazing thing is that we don’t have a male ray,” the post reads.
Brenda Ramer started Team ECCO Ocean Center and Aquarium, also known as The Aquarium & Shark Lab, in 2009. Before the big move, Ramer was a teacher for Henderson County for almost 10 years.
The team said they thought it could be cancer, but after performing ultrasounds, they realized she was pregnant with multiple puppies and announced the news in a Facebook post in February.
Campbell has not been identified.
“I have not provided any further advice or involvement with the facility since (January),” Dr Jones said.
“It’s all gotten very messy and, to be honest, I don’t want to be involved any further.”
Ramer said in a video on Facebook that Charlotte had bite marks when they determined she might be pregnant.
“We thought sharks bite when they mate,” she said. ‘It’s possible she mated with one of these male sharks. There’s a very unique joo-joo going on here.”
However, it is impossible for sharks and stingrays to produce offspring because the animals do not have sufficient genetic characteristics, including chromosomes.
“I defended them against the shark idea for a while, thinking it came from ignorance,” Boles said. “But I was naive then.”
“I don’t know (Ramer’s) motivation, but before this became public, she was told the animal was sick.”
Boles told DailyMail.com that Charlotte has been at the facility since at least 2015 and is likely 15 to 16 years old, making her susceptible to a reproductive disease.
Team Ecco’s financials show that in 2022 they generated $169,00 in revenue, but had $202,00 in expenses and $110,000 in liabilities
Researchers at the South-East Zoo Alliance for Reproduction & Conservation in Florida studied nearly 50 stingrays in aquariums in 2019 and found that 65 percent of them had developed uterine problems.
“Reproductive disease, characterized by cystic ovaries, non-ovulated eggs, and often an enlarged uterus, is common in older female stingrays,” the team shared in the study.
The disease is caused by high levels of estrogen in failed pregnancies.
Currently, there are no established treatment protocols for cystic ovaries in stingrays.
Veterinarians have used several methods to treat this particular stingray, including draining the fluid, using hormonal therapy, and treatment with antimicrobials.
“I don’t think she’ll live any longer, and I think it’s too late for care,” Boles said.
“I want her to get care, but think about it this way. If I let my uncle stay at my house and he is sick for six months and I end up taking him to the hospital, then I have neglected his care.”
He further explained that if this is a failed pregnancy, complications have arisen that also require medical attention, such as the removal of a dead fetus.
After Ramer shocked the world with claims of a “shark father,” the story turned to pathogenesis, a form of asexual reproduction, which would be the first case observed in a round stingray.
The last time the world heard about Charlotte before Thursday was on May 17 — but that was after the aquarium posted a bizarre message that it deleted shortly afterwards
As the mysterious virgin birth gained worldwide attention, the aquarium began sharing updates only twice a week on Facebook and Instagram.
The last time the world heard about Charlotte before Thursday was on May 17, but that was after the aquarium posted a bizarre message that it deleted shortly afterwards.
“After speaking with Charlotte we agreed that she would write her own update later today… as difficult and difficult as all these events have been for us, please look at her side,” read part of the message, which was full of spelling and grammatical errors.
However, the story goes that Charlotte became pregnant in September, meaning she has been carrying puppies for at least eight months.
Bradley Wetherbee, professor of biological sciences at the University of Rhode Island, told DailyMail.com that the gestation period for stingrays is about four to five months.
“(At this point) you think something is wrong. This is not a nine-month pregnancy, the baby is dead and gone.”
He went on to explain that when an ultrasound was performed, the technician could measure the size of the puppies, just as they do in humans, and provide an estimate of birth.
“It’s a little suspicious, but I’d be really surprised if they made this all up,” Wetherbee said.