By Canadian Press

Randy rays: Aggressive mating behaviour closes stingray exhibit at Winnipeg zoo

Jun 27, 2019 | 2:02 PM

WINNIPEG — Three stingrays have died and 24 others are getting what amounts to a cold shower after aggressive mating behaviour at a Winnipeg zoo.

The Stingray Beach exhibit opened in May and this month, during peak mating season, some of the cownose rays started getting randy and competitive.

“During mating season … what you might get is some injuries related to the males sort of competing for female attention, but males will sometimes also bite females in the act,” Laura Cabak, a spokeswoman for the Assiniboine Park Zoo, said Thursday.

The same behaviour is seen in the wild, Cabak said, when days get longer and waters warm.

The zoo has closed the exhibit, reduced the amount of daylight reaching it and cooled the water. It’s not that the colder water has a direct impact on the stingray passions, but it signals a change of seasons.

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“We’re doing some things to the environment to try to trick them into thinking it’s no longer breeding season.”

The zoo has also removed decorative rocks from the exhibit to reduce the risk of injuries. A separate area has been established where three injured rays can recover and receive antibiotics.

Cabek said the cooler water and reduced daylight seem to be doing the trick.

“Signs are that it’s working, but we’re just taking things day by day.”

The Canadian Press