Stingray question

[MeAko]

I distinctly remember that I went either to Spain or Australia and there was a Stingray Petting exhibit area in one of the aquariums. I had no idea rays were venomous that time and I joined all the kids petting the rays.

Gosh, the thought of getting stung...argh! Especially for kids, they'll be scarred for life, won't they?

 

[dragonfish18]

many aquariums have them debarbed for petting but they grow back...i think they swap the display ones with new clipped ones every so often and cycle them

 

[Akabir47]

many aquariums have them debarbed for petting but they grow back...i think they swap the display ones with new clipped ones every so often and cycle them

The Aquarium of Atlanta has an exhibit like this as well as seawolrd in orlando and the care takers said this exact thing.

 

[Zoodiver]

FYI: The two thread have been merged.

For whatever it's worth, 99% of touch pool exhibit rays are barb trimmed at exhibit, not rotated in and out. It's not the 'touch' aspect that stresses the animals out, it's the moving in and out that does it.

 

[Gshock]

I presume that the touching is pretty stressful too though. We have a ray exhibit here with a touch pool where kids literally pull rays out of the water until the workers finally catch on...

 

[Zoodiver]

Depends on how they are treated. Most become very interactive. Any long time ray keeper can atest to thst fact. Rough actions and unsupervised handling can be stressful on them.

 

[Bootler]

I presume that the touching is pretty stressful too though. We have a ray exhibit here with a touch pool where kids literally pull rays out of the water until the workers finally catch on...

thats soo dumb. people should be respectful. im against ray petting exhibits. dolphins maybe, but rays, no.

 

[Just Toby]

Many of the touch pools have massive exhibits where the Rays could easily swim to the middle and not be touched...they dont though, they actively climb the glass where the punters are.

I suspect they relate this with food or they do want the interaction.

If they were stressed they would swim to the middle and bury in the sand.

 

[sam buckle]

thats soo dumb. people should be respectful. im against ray petting exhibits. dolphins maybe, but rays, no.

yet you are putting a ray in a 35 gallon tank!

 

[lunemy]

thats soo dumb. people should be respectful. im against ray petting exhibits. dolphins maybe, but rays, no.

Man dolphins even more dump