Juliet, a manatee who lived at the Miami Seaquarium, dies

A manatee who lived at the Miami Seaquarium named Juliet was found dead Sunday at a Tampa rehabilitation center, where she was recovering from health problems related to her advanced age.

ZooTampa in Lowry Park reported inFacebook that Juliet "leaves a global legacy for manatee conservation and education," and recalled that in December 2023 she and another manatee named Romeo were transported to ZooTampa for urgent medical evaluations at the David A. Straz Critical Care Center, Jr. Manatí, one of thefour critical centers in the United States for the advanced care of seriously injured, sick and orphaned specimens of that species.

"For more than four months, both Romeo and Juliet had successfully adapted to their new environments in the zoo's rehabilitation pools and were socializing with other manatees, and Romeo continues to thrive," stated Dr. Cynthia Stringfield, vice president of animal health. , ZooTampa Conservation and Education.

He explained that when Julieta arrived at the zoo there were many aspects of her general health that were unknown.

"She was an unusually large animal, weighing 3,045 pounds and her age was estimated at more than 65 years, making her one of the oldest known manatees," he noted.

She said she underwent a routine medical evaluation last week where she showed health problems likely related to her advanced age.

They arehealth suddenly deteriorated overnight, and sadly died early, the expert said, and announced that an autopsy would be performed.

"Julieta was a beloved animal, who captured the hearts of many around the world," he said.

She added that ZooTampa frequently received messages from animal care professionals, veterinarians and even the general public concerned about Juliet, who say she instilled in them her passion for these gentle sea cows.

"Our thoughts are with the entire manatee community and the teams who have cared for them for more than six decades," Stringfield said.

ZooTampa is a renowned international leader in the care and conservation of Florida's most iconic species, with more than 500 manatees cared for by a team of expert veterinarians and animal care professionals who are on call 24 hours a day.