38-year-old male manatee dies from mating with his brother

An autopsy revealed that Hugh the manatee at the Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium in Florida died from injuries sustained while mating with his brother.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's Marine Mammal Pathology Laboratory performed an autopsy on 38-year-old manatee Hugh and said the fatal wound was a 5-inch tear in the wall of his colon, NBC News reported on July 28. The wound was likely the result of mating with his brother, Buffett.

Manatee couple Hugh and Buffett. (Photo: Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium).

Hugh died suddenly on April 29 at Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium in Florida. "On the day Hugh died, he and Buffett engaged in the natural mating behavior observed and documented in manatees, both in the wild and in captivity. This is the first time such intense behavior has been documented between two manatees ," Mote Marine said.

Mote Marine claims that Hugh's keepers did not think he was in danger. The aquarium explained that both Hugh and Buffett were observed seeking interaction with each other and there were no obvious signs of discomfort or distress such as grinding teeth or active avoidance that would warrant intervention.

Staff did not attempt to separate the pair during mating, fearing it would cause more harm. "Under veterinary guidance, distraction was chosen over physical separation, as separation has been associated with excessive anxiety and negative effects on both manatees," the aquarium explained.

Pairing behavior between male manatees, even siblings, is not uncommon. 'They're not very particular about who their partners are. When the urge strikes, they'll pair with whoever's in the area, and if it's a female, that's great. But if there's a shortage of females or only males around, they may engage in the behavior with any individual nearby,' says Jenessa Gjeltema, an associate professor at the University of California, Davis School of Veterinary Medicine.

Manatees typically live alone, not in herds, so they don't have a strong sense of family structure , which leads to the interactions between Hugh and Buffett. "Who is related to whom is not a big factor in their interactions and social relationships ," Gjeltema explains.