Brevard County Parks and Recreation Helps Relocate 10 Manatees From South Carolina To Indian River

By  //  December 28, 2017

Manatees found isolated in Cooper River, South Carolina

The Brevard County Parks and Recreation department worked in collaboration with multiple organizations and volunteers to help relocate 10 manatees to the Indian River Lagoon that were found isolated in Cooper River, South Carolina.

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – The Brevard County Parks and Recreation department worked in collaboration with multiple organizations and volunteers to help relocate 10 manatees to the Indian River Lagoon that were found isolated in Cooper River, South Carolina.

The manatees were found in the Cooper River by a warm water outflow without sufficient food sources, in place of migrating south to naturally warm water. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) staff made the decision to rescue and relocate the manatees with the assistance of Sea World Orlando’s manatee rescue team.

The rescue operation took place over three days from November, 28-30.

Of the captured manatees, eight were males, and two were females.

Nine of the manatees were released using the Brevard County Parks and Recreation Port St. John boat ramp, and one female manatee remains at the Jacksonville Zoo for rehabilitation.

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Five of the manatees that were released were tagged by the Sea to Shore Alliance in an effort to monitor them as part of their Atlantic Coast Manatee Study.

The rescue effort included the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation (FWC), Brevard Zoo, Brevard County Parks and Recreation Department, USFWS Ecological Services Staff, Sea World Orlando, Sea to Shore Alliance, ACE Basin National Wildlife Refuge, Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge, NOAA National Ocean Services, Charleston County Sheriff’s Office, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR), Clearwater Marine Aquarium, Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens, Florida Wildlife Hospital, Waterfront Solutions, University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine, and the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium.

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