Charlotte the stingray is not pregnant. ‘This was not a scam,’ aquarium owner says
After months of speculation, it’s been confirmed that Charlotte the stingray, who went viral for her miraculous pregnancy, is no longer pregnant.
The stingray made national headlines after it was revealed that she became pregnant without the help of a male stingray.
But Brenda Ramer, the owner of Aquarium & Shark Lab by Team ECCO in Hendersonville where Charlotte lives, told News 13 on Friday that experts aren’t sure if Charlotte was ever pregnant.
The aquarium said in a Facebook post Thursday that Charlotte “developed a rare reproductive disease that has negatively impacted her reproductive system.”
“The findings are truly a sad and unexpected medical development,” the post reads. “Our priority is to focus on Charlotte’s health and well-being. We will work with, and be guided by, veterinarians and specialists to better understand this disease and the treatment options for Charlotte. While the research of this disease is limited, we hope that Charlotte’s case and medical treatment will positively contribute to science and be of benefit to other rays in the future.”
Ramer told News 13 that vets have diagnosed Charlotte with diapause, a suspended state of pregnancy in animals where an early-stage embryo refrains from implanting in a mother’s uterus, according to the University of Washington School of Medicine.
Last year, when Charlotte’s pregnancy was first reported, some speculated she could have been impregnated by one of the five male sharks in her tank, but experts quickly dismissed that claim, saying it wouldn’t be possible due to their different sizes and DNA. Scientists then said Charlotte’s pregnancy must be the result of parthenogenesis, a rare method of asexual reproduction in which a female can produce an embryo without fertilizing an egg with sperm
‘This was not a scam’
Comments are turned off on the aquarium’s latest Facebook post, but it has been shared more than 200 times, with users sounding off about Charlotte’s condition — and the validity of her pregnancy.
“The stingray that was miraculously pregnant or experiencing parthenogenesis is not in fact pregnant,” one user wrote. “She’s sick.”
“And now comes the truth,” another wrote.
Ramer told News 13 that she’s always been transparent about Charlotte’s status, and refuted claims that the pregnancy was fabricated.
“I can’t control what people think.” Ramer said. “I can only tell you what we know for certain. I’ve never been a liar. This was not a scam. This was not anything made up, but people do that. People have their own thoughts.”
This story was originally published June 3, 2024 at 9:53 AM with the headline "Charlotte the stingray is not pregnant. ‘This was not a scam,’ aquarium owner says."
