A 140-pound leopard whiptail ray at the New England Aquarium in Boston recently got his annual check-up—a procedure that required eight staff members, an anesthesia team, and one aquarist willing to get in the water alongside him.
At the weight of an adult human with a four-foot-three-inch wingspan, the ray isn't just large—he's a logistical puzzle. His species, Himantura leoparda, has those distinctive leopard-like spots and impossibly long, whip-thin tails that can stretch two to four times the length of their bodies. Those tails help them balance, steer, and defend themselves in the wild waters of Southeast Asia and northern Australia. Including the tail, these rays can reach 13 feet long.
"This process requires eight people on average, so we must ensure we have proper staffing to perform these exams safely from both an animal and human safety aspect," explains Dr. Kathy Tuxbury, the aquarium's Senior Veterinarian.
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The procedure starts with the delicate work of moving the ray from his exhibit to an exam pool. Once there, he's anesthetized, and an aquarist enters the water to keep water flowing over his gills and position him for the veterinarian's examination. Dr. Tuxbury takes a head-to-tail approach—checking his eyes, skin, mouth, and internal organs with an ultrasound, plus collecting blood samples for lab review.
The ray being examined has lived at the New England Aquarium for 17 years. His 162-pound tankmate is even larger, making these coordinated check-ups a regular test of teamwork and planning. The aquarium performs at least one physical per year for each ray, with additional exams if needed.
The good news: this male's recent exam showed everything working as it should. His weight, heart, liver, gastrointestinal tract—all normal. Within 30 minutes of finishing, he was back in his exhibit eating. The two rays together consume 2.5 pounds of food daily, so he didn't stay away from his routine for long.
It's a reminder that keeping large animals healthy in human care isn't just about veterinary skill—it's about the unglamorous, coordinated effort of teams who show up year after year to make sure these creatures thrive.
