It's never easy to say goodbye to an animal that is considered a member of the family, especially when it's been a cherished resident for the past decade. The staff at the Butterfly House & Aquarium are currently enduring this process.

After calling the Butterfly House & Aquarium home for ten years, MJ the Southern Stingray was humanely euthanized on Monday, July 25th. The Butterfly House & Aquarium made this difficult announcement on its Facebook page.

Get our free mobile app

MJ was a people pleaser who was loved by many of the visitors and staff at the Butterfly House & Aquarium. Frequent guests may have noticed that MJ had developed a certain quirk recently over the last few years. He had a unique "spinning behavior" that occurred randomly throughout the day and right before feeding. The staff at the Butterfly House & Aquarium explains to its Facebook followers that MJ's quality of life was never at risk.

He could still engage in enrichment activities, do his daily target training, and eat everything of his required diet. Our vet began work with MJ in early 2020 to try and mitigate this behavior by looking for potential causes through diagnostics, however, the behavior continued with no obvious clinical diagnosis that would have led to a cause for concern.

Just the other day, the staff noticed that MJ was not responding while behind the scenes at the Butterfly House & Aquarium. After consulting with the Director of Animal Husbandry, it was determined that MJ's condition was sharply failing. In order to prevent further suffering, the staff made the tough choice to end MJ's pain. The veterinarian at the Butterfly House & Aquarium also performed a full necropsy to additionally evaluate MJ's condition.

The Butterfly House & Aquarium is celebrating MJ's life by asking its visitors to share any memories or photos of the majestic stingray.

TRENDING FROM RESULTS-TOWNSQUARE MEDIA SIOUX FALLS:

South Dakota's Weird Exotic Animal Laws Are Amazing

Have an interesting pet or looking to get one? Check this out from South Dakota Exotic Animal Laws before you go trying to adopt one.

You will need a zoo permit to harbor a raccoon dog. That's a real species. It's a small wild dog with a black facial mask and long fur, native to the forests of Asia.

You Can Get This South Dakota Home Now For A 'Heck Of A Deal'

If you're looking for a three-bedroom, nine-bathroom, retractable roof home with a fish pond that sits on over eight acres of land...you're in luck! There is a home in South Dakota just like this located only 65 miles west of Sioux Falls.

The Mitchell Republic in Mitchell, South Dakota is reporting that the former Kelley property in Mitchell is still on the market right now for a great price. In fact, Mayor Bob Everson of Mitchell says this house is available for a "heck of a deal."

More From KXRB