Manatee Survivors

Much has been written about the plight of these slow moving, gentle, vegetarians. I am familiar with a lot of it - there are only about 2000 Florida manatees left in the wild - a result of boat collisions, habitat loss, entanglement, cold weather, disease, pollution and parasites, among other things. Over 50 percent of manatees rescued by SeaWorld in Florida have injuries or illness so severe, they do not survive. Of the ones that do, some will no longer be able to make it in the wild and are given permanent homes and care the rest of their lives. The remaining few that are strong enough and healthy enough to be released are taken back to the location they were found and given another chance to make it in the wild. I had the opportunity to be a part of a recent release of three rescued and rehabilitated manatees.

I met the animal care team, which cared for the three injured manatees round the clock for the past five to six months, at the back rehab pools just after dawn. The trucks were ready, the foam to make the ride more comfortable for the animals all laid down and the stretchers which would carry the manatees, in place. The team entered the water and carefully guided the first female into the stretcher. No problem. The sides were tied up for safety and then she was lifted out of the pool by crane. The next two went just as smoothly - manatees are easy to work with in that regard. The drive to Kars Park, Merritt Island took about an hour, with constant care and vigil being given to the soon to be released threesome. Each one had different reasons for needing care at SeaWorld’s busy rehabilitation facility. The male had been struck in the head by a watercraft and suffered a concussion. The adult female had also been in a boat collision, but suffered lung damage and was listing to one side. Lastly, the little female (approximately 250 pounds at rescue), estimated at a year and one half old, needed to be kept with mom while she recuperated from her wounds.

FirstAid.jpg (6903 bytes) SeaWorld and Busch Gardens are used to handling the seemingly limitless number of stranded, injured or sick animals which are found in the wild, but often within reach of our expanding human population. Since the start of the rescue and rehab program, over 10,000 animals have been rescued and cared for. The goal of the program is to return each one to the wild, but as in the case with some of the manatees, this is not always possible due to the extent of their injuries or age. Very old animals often would no longer be able to compete if they were released again and very young animals who needed round the clock care may not have all the tools necessary to survive in a wild world which caters to none and makes survival a constant test.

When we arrived at the release spot, preparations began immediately to reverse the loading process and set the animals down in their stretchers once again on soft foam at the waters edge. The team was divided in three, and I was able Manatee.jpg (7188 bytes) to assist with the smallest manatee (now 350 pounds), by being stationed on one end of the stretcher, which would carry her into the warm Florida waters they all called home. I was expecting a mad dash - a rush towards open water, which they had been deprived of during their months of rehabilitation. We all picked up our animals in unison and headed the dozen steps or so into deeper water. The stretchers became lighter as the water supported more and more of the manatees weight. Almost in one motion, all three manatees floated out of their fabric support and into the waterway. There was no rush however, no frantic moves to rid themselves of the connection with man - both good and bad. I shouldn’t have been surprised; for that must be one reason why the manatee is so endangered - they don’t seem to acknowledge a care in the world.