Popular manatee dies after 'intense' sex with his brother

A popular manatee from Florida called Hugo has died after having "intense" sex with his brother Buffett.

Hugo unexpectedly died earlier this year after 27 years of living at the Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium. The United States Department of Agriculture disclosed the cause of death in reports released last week, which revealed a 14.5-centimetre rip in his colon.

The mating took place on 29 April before Buffett grew tired and swam away. It was then Hugo was sadly found dead at the bottom of the pool, according to Perth Now.

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In a statement shared on Facebook, the aquarium said, "There were no obvious signs of discomfort or distress such as listing, crunching, or active avoidance that would have triggered a need for intervention."

They continued: "Following the direction of the veterinarians, distraction rather than physical separation was chosen because separation has previously caused undue anxiety and negative effects in both manatees.

"In an effort to redirect the manatees’ attention and decrease undesirable behaviors, animal care staff used positive reinforcement tools such as high value rewards and enrichment that had previously been successful."

The post was soon flooded with comments from locals devastated by the news.

"So sorry about the loss of Hugh!!! Hope Buffet will be ok as a loner for now. Thank you for the amazing work you do and the education you provide to everyone," one person wrote.

Another added: "My heartfelt condolences to the entire care team. Mote does an amazing job in animal care of its permanent residents, rehab and release of its patients, conservation and education of the Sarasota Bay area, and important ongoing research. Sarasota and the entire marine world is lucky to have such an amazing facility at its core!"

Meanwhile, a third commented: "I am so sorry to hear of his passing. Thank you for taking such good care of your residents!"

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