TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Penghu Aquarium recently welcomed two new leopard whiprays, which made their public debut Wednesday (Aug. 14).
Aquarium staff unexpectedly found the pair of pup whiprays in the tank during a regular inspection in late July. They were the first offspring of the aquarium's 5-year-old female leopard whipray, per CNA.
The newborn rays were about 30 cm long and weighed around 0.75 kg. They have the potential to grow up to 200 cm in length.
The pups were initially hesitant to feed. To encourage feeding, aquarium staff dove into the tank and scattered food around the young rays, encouraging them to eat by watching other fish.
The newborns are now eating independently and even playfully approach divers for food. The two pups now swim freely among other fish in the large tank and are regularly fed by aquarium staff.