Tragedy as 65-year-old manatee Juliet dies at Tampa Zoo just four months after being rescued from seaquarium, facing accusations of improper animal care

One of the world’s oldest known manatees has died, four months after being rescued from the desolate conditions at the infamous Miami Seaquarium.

ZooTampa officials at Lowry Park announced the death of 65-year-old manatee Juliet on Sunday after she showed declining health over the past week.

Juliet and her boyfriend Romeo were rescued from the Miami Seaquarium in December after drone footage of Romeo circling a worn-out pool went viral.

‘Juliet was a beloved animal who captured the hearts of many around the world. We have been contacted regularly by zookeepers, veterinarians and even the general public, praising her for instilling their passion for these gentle manatees,” said Dr. Cynthia Stringfield, ZooTampa’s Senior Vice President of Animal Health, Conservation and Education.

‘For more than four months, both Romeo and Juliet had successfully adapted to their new environment in the zoo’s rehabilitation pools and were socializing with other manatees. Romeo continues to do well.’

ZooTampa officials announced that Juliet, one of the world’s oldest known manatees, has died

Juliet and her buddy Romeo were rescued from the Miami Seaquarium in December

Juliet, 65, died on Sunday after showing declining health over the past week

The Miami Seaquarium said Romeo and Juliet “were rescued in 1956” and are “local celebrities” at the aquarium where they lived for 66 years.

Romeo was dubbed “America’s Loneliest Manatee” after a viral video showed him alone in a tank, while his partner, Juliet, with whom he shared several calves, was kept in a separate “celebrity” tank on the main property.

Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava issued a lease termination notice for the troubled Seaquarium in March after the U.S. Department of Agriculture found there were “numerous and significant violations and defaults.”

The deadline for the eviction was set for Sunday, but Miami Seaquarium ignored the order and is fighting Miami-Dade County in federal court, Local10 News reported.

The Seaquarium is seeking $35 million in damages, claiming the eviction was forced without a plan for the animals.

The Manatee Rescue & Rehabilitation Partnership successfully transported three manatees – Romeo, Juliet and Clarity – from Miami Seaquarium to SeaWorld Orlando and ZooTampa in December.

Transport was a huge struggle due to the size, weight and health of the animals.

But accompanied by specialized vehicles and an experienced team of veterinarians and animal caretakers, all three completed the journey safely.

‘When Juliet arrived at the zoo, there were many aspects of her overall health that were unknown. She was an unusually large animal, weighing 3,045 pounds and her age was estimated at more than 65 years old, making her one of the oldest known manatees,” Stringfield said.

Their move to ZooTampa was part of a larger operation that state and federal wildlife officials say had been in the works for months between the government and private healthcare facilities in Florida.

Video of Romeo desperately swimming in his tankphotographed by campaign group UrgentSeas, floats over a deserted part of the park before zooming in on the lone figure, spinning in circles in the murky water.

UrgentSeas co-founder Phil Demers claimed that Romeo had been kept alone in the tank in ‘Pompano Pools’, which are closed to the public, since April last year.

Romeo’s plight was picked up by 11-time World Surf League champion Kelly Slater, who called on people to put pressure on the Florida aquarium to release him.

Romeo was dubbed ‘America’s loneliest manatee’ after a viral video showed him alone in a tank

Video of Romeo desperately swimming in his tank, taken by campaign group UrgentSeas, floats over a deserted part of the park before zooming in on the lone figure

Slater told DailyMail.com: ‘I’m always confused and sad when I see these stories. For context, I don’t know how the manatee got into the tank or if there is any reason why it can’t be released back into the wild, but my thoughts on this are that manatees are very social creatures and very free, living over large roaming distances. throughout the state of Florida.

“They are the gentlest creatures in the world and such an amazing and recognizable mammal in our state.

“It seems humane to return these animals to their rightful place in nature, along with all species of cetaceans that should not be allowed to live in captivity at all unless they are terribly injured and unable to return to the wild and have no have quality of life. ‘ he said.

“I grew up swimming with and admiring manatees, and it would be a great story to see this manatee return safely to live out its days in the wild.”

Demers said Romeo was kept “all alone” in the “off-limits” Pompano Pools, which are closed to the public.

He added: ‘Manatees are semi-social animals and suffer psychologically if they do not live in pairs or groups. But Romeo remains all alone. Always.’

Manatees can live an estimated 60 years in the wild, but in captivity they can live longer.

In a report, the Department of Agriculture cited the Miami Seaquarium for alleged inadequate animal care and staffing problems — and denounced Romeo’s treatment.

According to the report, Romeo was only housed in his enclosure because the three other manatees he lived with were released back into the wild in the spring.

And despite numerous attempts to obtain another manatee, the Seaquarium did not meet the requirements for one.

The report noted, “Although numerous attempts were made to acquire another manatee, it was determined that the facility did not yet meet the requirements to receive another animal.

‘Manatees are semi-social animals and do better medically and psychologically when housed in pairs or groups.’

In March 2022, the lease for the site was transferred to the Dolphin Company. Since then, the Department of Agriculture has issued a series of violation warnings and made findings of animals injured and in distress.

One report accused the aquarium of problems with inadequate veterinary care, animal handling, facilities and critical separation.

Dolphins were found to have eaten concrete and cable ties, while one of them had broken ribs after an attack.

The Department of Agriculture cited the Miami Seaquarium for alleged inadequate animal care and staffing issues – and blasted them for their treatment of Romeo.

The Manatee Rescue & Rehabilitation Partnership successfully transported three manatees – Romeo, Juliet and Clarity – from Miami Seaquarium to SeaWorld Orlando and ZooTampa in December

Transport was a huge struggle due to the size, weight and health of the animals

The report said the facility had “failed to provide appropriate equipment or services to ensure adequate veterinary care” and “failed to maintain a marine mammal enclosure in good condition and to protect the animals from injury.”

Romeo was held in the same Seaquarium where Lolita the orca died in March this year.

Once called the “world’s loneliest whale,” Lolita died at the age of 57, just months before her planned retirement.

Experts and concerned individuals had long protested Lolita’s conditions in captivity, including the size of her 80-foot-long and 30-foot-wide tank, the smallest of its kind in the US.

Just ten years after Lolita arrived at the aquarium, her companion Hugo died of an aneurysm caused by repetitive head trauma, earning her the title of the world’s loneliest whale.

Lolita was the oldest whale in captivity at the age of 56 and performed until 2022, when she finally retired after falling ill.