VIDEO: FWC Rescues, SeaWorld Rehabilitates Three Manatees; Mother and Calf Included
By SeaWorld Cares // May 18, 2016
ABOVE VIDEO: On May 9, a 1,255-pound manatee mother and her young calf were rescued by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) from Tomoka River near Ormond Beach in Volusia County, Fla. (SeaWorld® Parks & Entertainment Video)
(SeaWorld Cares) – On May 9, a 1,255-pound manatee mother and her young calf were rescued by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) from Tomoka River near Ormond Beach in Volusia County, Fla.
The 10-foot-2-inch-long manatee mother was experiencing severe buoyancy issues thought to be caused by a watercraft strike. SeaWorld’s expert veterinary team placed the manatee in a wetsuit to stabilize the its buoyancy issue and was successful in removing the air trapped in the chest cavity.
The mother’s young calf came in weighing approximately 97 pounds, measuring 4 feet 5 inches. The calf is doing well and has continued to nurse consistently throughout the rehabilitation process.
As of today, the mother manatee is no longer in the wetsuit and showing signs of progress.
Days after rescuing the mother and calf pair, FWC also rescued a young, orphaned, female manatee calf from the Satellite Beach area and transported it to SeaWorld Orlando.
The orphaned calf received immediate nutritional support and is currently under a 24-hour watch by the SeaWorld Animal Care and Veterinary teams.
The teams will continue to work around-the-clock to provide these three manatees the highest quality of care with the ultimate goal of returning them back to their natural environment.
This year, SeaWorld Orlando has rescued 11 manatees, and returned 13 back to the wild. Most recently, SeaWorld returned a manatee rescued from South Carolina to the waters of Florida, click here to read more.
As part of the Manatee Rescue & Rehabilitation Partnership (MRP), SeaWorld Orlando is an acute care rehabilitation facility that provides life-saving medical care to rescued manatees.
If you see an injured marine animal, you can help by calling the FWC hotline at 1-888-404-3922 or by dialing *FWC on a cellular device.
