Juliet, One Of The Oldest Known Manatees, Dies At 65: ZooTampa

TAMPA, FL — One of the world’s oldest manatees died Sunday morning at ZooTampa.

Juliet, one-half of a senior manatee couple, was 65 years old at the time of her death, the zoo wrote in a Facebook post.

She and Romeo, also 65, were transferred to ZooTampa’s David A. Straz, Jr. Manatee Critical Care Center, one of only four critical centers in the United States for the advanced care of critically injured, sick and orphaned manatees, in December from the Miami Seaquarium.

They both weighed about 3,000 pounds at the time of their transfer.

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“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, Romeo continues to thrive,” Dr. Cynthia Stringfield, ZooTampa’s senior vice president of animal health, conservation and education, said. “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 over 65 years old, making her one of the oldest known manatees.”

Over the past week, a routine medical assessment showed Juliet exhibited health issues likely related to her advanced age. “She declined suddenly overnight,” dying Sunday morning, the zoo said.

A necropsy will be performed on the manatee.

“Juliet was a beloved animal, who captured the hearts of many worldwide. We would be contacted frequently by animal care professionals, veterinarians and even the general public who credit her for instilling their passion for these gentle sea cows,” Dr. Stringfield said. “Our thoughts are with the entire manatee community and the teams who for more than six decades have cared for her.”