A pair of manatees that have lived at the Miami Seaquarium for more than 60 years have been relocated, just days after animal rights activists had pushed for them to be moved.
The manatees, named Romeo and Juliet, have been transferred to SeaWorld Orlando and ZooTampa, the Seaquarium said Tuesday.
A third manatee named Clarity joined the pair in their relocation.
Romeo and Juliet were among the first manatees the Seaquarium rescued in 1956. The pair were the first manatees to conceive offspring in human care, the Seaquarium's website said.
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Clarity, an adult female manatee, had been at the Seaquarium since 2009, when she was rescued after suffering watercraft-related injuries.
The relocations come after health concerns were raised by activists in recent weeks about 67-year-old Romeo.
The Seaquarium said they worked for months on the relocation and said it was done so Romeo and Juliet could be introduced to a social group.
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"The manatees were each prepared for transport, loaded into specialized transport vehicles, and accompanied by an experienced team of veterinarians and manatee specialists," the Seaquarium said in a statement. "The animals were successfully transported to facilities at SeaWorld Orlando and ZooTampa, two of only three critical care centers for manatees in the United States, where they are now undergoing thorough veterinary examinations."
The move comes months after the sudden death of the Seaquarium's beloved killer whale Lolita amid plans to relocate her back to the Pacific. Lolita — also known as Tokitae, or Toki — died Aug. 18 after spending 53 years in captivity.
