Central Florida rescue team returns 12 manatees to their natural habitat in one day
ORLANDO, Florida. – The Manatee Rescue and Rehabilitation Partnership, an interagency collaboration, announced that it has successfully released 12 manatees back into their natural habitat in one day.
Following successful rehabilitation, the animals were released on Monday to Blue Spring State Park in Orange City, according to a press release.
The agency said many of the manatees were rescued as orphaned calves during an ongoing unusual death event that has left thousands of animals malnourished and starving.
The manatees have spent the last few years rehabilitating at various institutions, including Aquarium Encounters, Brevard Zoo, Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden, Clearwater Marine Aquarium, Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Walt Disney Resort, Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens . , Miami Aquarium, Manatee Rescue Club, SeaWorld Orlando, and the US Fish and Wildlife Service.
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12 animals released:
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Asha: An orphan cub, rescued in early 2021, has been rehabilitated at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens.
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Shrimps: A small calf that was rescued in 2019 and rehabilitated at Miami Aquarium, Zoo & Aquarium Columbus and Sea with Nemo and friends at EPCOT (Walt Disney World Resort).
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Ferret: An orphan calf rescued in early 2021 and rehabilitated by the Miami Aquarium.
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Finch: In early 2021, an orphan calf was rescued and rehabilitated at the Miami Aquarium.
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Artemis: A very small orphan calf weighing 51 pounds was rescued in the summer of 2020. She went to rehab at SeaWorld Orlando.
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Bianca: An injured mother’s calf rescued in the spring of 2021. She was rehabilitated by SeaWorld Orlando.
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Inigo: A 9-foot adult male rescued by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) in 2021 for UME reasons. He completed his rehabilitation at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens. After being hit by a boat shortly after his release in August 2022, he was rescued a second time and received rehabilitation at both the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens and SeaWorld Orlando.
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Lilpeep: In the spring of 2021, an orphan calf was rescued and taken to SeaWorld Orlando for rehabilitation and then to Aquarium Encounters for further rehabilitation. It was returned to SeaWorld Orlando in preparation for release.
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Maksimoff: An orphan calf rescued in early 2021 and rehabilitated by SeaWorld Orlando.
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Alby: The little orphan weighing 51 pounds was rescued in 2019. He was rehabilitated by SeaWorld Orlando and then taken to the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden for longer rehabilitation. It was returned to SeaWorld Orlando in preparation for release.
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Manhattan: The orphan, rescued in the fall of 2019, was initially rehabilitated by SeaWorld Orlando before being taken to the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden for full rehabilitation. It was returned to SeaWorld Orlando in preparation for release.
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Swimsuit: An orphan rescued at the end of 2020. He was taken to SeaWorld Orlando for rehabilitation and later taken to the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden for further rehabilitation. It was then returned to SeaWorld Orlando in preparation for release.
“Over the past few years, we have been called upon to rescue an alarmingly large number of injured, sick and starving manatees off the coast of Florida,” said Monica Ross, chair of the Manatee Rescue and Rehabilitation Partnership and director of manatee research and conservation. for the Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute. “Thanks to the efforts of MRP partners, I am very pleased that we were able to return the largest number of manatees to their natural environment in one day.”
The organization said all manatees will be wearing GPS tracking devices so researchers can continue to monitor their acclimatization next year.
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texasstandard.news contributed to this report.
