London stingrays give birth with no males

From SwellUK.com: London stingrays give birth with no males

Two stingrays in Sea Life London Aquarium have given birth although they have not encountered males for two years.

Sea Life London Aquarium staff were shocked to discover two female stingrays were pregnant, despite that they have had no male contact for two years.

Workers at the facility noticed the creatures appeared to be bloated and when they were examined as part of a health check-up, it was revealed they were expecting.

Their offspring are currently 15cm long and have been moved to a new fish tank in the SOS area of the building.

It is not unknown for rays to store sperm and wait until "they decide the timing is right" before they give birth, head curator at the central London attraction Paul Hale said.

He added: "It's not something I've seen before in my eight years at the aquarium."

Employees expect the babies to be particularly popular among visitors over the summer.

Stingrays have a venomous barb at the end of their tail, which they use as a defensive weapon.