Charlotte the 'pregnant' stingray has died, North Carolina aquarium says

A North Carolina stingray named Charlotte who made headlines earlier in 2024 when it was thought she was pregnant without a mate has died, according to the aquarium where she lived. 

"We are sad to announce, after continuing treatment with her medical care team and specialist, our ray Charlotte passed away today," the Hendersonville, North Carolina-based Aquarium & Shark Lab by Team ECCO said in a Facebook post on June 30.

"We are continuing to work with her medical care team and research specialist," the post went on. "The Team ECCO family appreciates your continued love and support while we navigate this great loss."

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The Facebook post was shared more than 300 times, with people offering their condolences to the aquarium for the loss of Charlotte.

News of Charlotte's death came about a month after Team ECCO revealed that the California round ray was not pregnant as previously believed. 

In a May 30 post on its Facebook page, Team ECCO said that testing had revealed that Charlotte was actually suffering from "a rare reproductive disease that has negatively impacted her reproductive system."

It also said, "The findings are truly a sad and unexpected medical development," adding that Charlotte would continue to be studied during her treatment to hopefully advance research into stingray reproductive diseases.

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"We hope that Charlotte's case and medical treatment will positively contribute to science and be of benefit to other rays in the future," it said on May 30. 

Charlotte first gained national attention in February, when the Aquarium & Shark Lab by Team ECCO announced that she was pregnant – even though she had not shared a tank with a male stingray of her species for nearly a decade.

Brenda Ramer, founder and executive director of the aquarium, told Fox News Digital in February that she initially feared Charlotte had cancer, as the round ray had begun to "swell" in recent weeks.

An ultrasound, Ramer said, showed that Charlotte's swelling was not from tumors but eggs. 

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It was thought that perhaps Charlotte had reproduced asexually or had possibly become impregnated by a male shark in her tank — and it was reported in February that she could give birth imminently. 

As the weeks went by and Charlotte failed to deliver any pups of any kind, questions began swirling in the comments section of Team ECCO's Facebook page.

In early May, the aquarium posted an update saying that the ray had shown "very little change" and would be undergoing tests. 

"We appreciate your continued support and excitement as we navigate this unfamiliar area of science and marine biology," the aquarium said in the May 8 post before turning off comments. 

On social media, people posted tributes to the now-deceased stingray.

"CHARLOTTE THE STINGRAY NOOOOOO," wrote X user @vulcanelrond on Tuesday, July 2. 

"Charlotte the stingray is dead. I hate today already," wrote X user @erimoriart.

"CHARLOTTE THE STINGRAY IS DEAD?! No one speak to me," said user @smmsmmaaa.

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The Aquarium & Shark Lab by Team ECCO will be "temporarily closed" in response to Charlotte's death, it said on Facebook. 

Fox News Digital reached out to the Aquarium & Shark Lab by Team ECCO for additional comment.