WATCH: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Successfully Released 23 Manatees in February

new releases are tagged with satellite trackers so researchers can monitor their progress

(Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission) – In the last several weeks, FWC and partners successfully released 23 manatees back into the wild after full rehabilitation at critical care facilities.

The facilities included ZooTampa at Lowry Park, Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens, SeaWorld Orlando, Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute, and the Bishop Museum of Science and Nature.

Many of the released manatees were rescued as calves with limited or no experience in the wild. Biologists use days surrounding cold fronts to release the manatees at a warm water sites where they join other overwintering, wild manatees.

The new releases are tagged with satellite trackers so researchers can monitor their progress.

Want to check-in on a released manatee? Visit ManateeRescue.org for updates.

Please support manatee rescue, research, and conservation with the purchase of a Florida manatee license plate.

To report an injured, distressed, or dead manatee, please call FWC’s Wildlife Alert Hotline: 888-404-3922.

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