Thanks to the combined efforts of multiple facilities seven rescued manatees are getting a second chance at life following months of rehabilitation.  The Manatee Rescue and Rehabilitation Partnership (MRP) is a cooperative group of non-profit, private, state, and federal entities who work together to monitor the health and survival of rehabilitated and returned manatees.  The MRP is comprised of multiple facilities including SeaWorld Orlando, the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens, South Florida Museum, U.S. Fish and Wildlife, and The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).

There are only a total of five acute care rehabilitation facilities located in the U.S. that can provide life-saving medical care to rescued manatees.  SeaWorld Orlando is one of those facilities.  “SeaWorld Rescue is on call 365 days a year, 24 hours a day,” said Jon Peterson, manager of rescue operations at SeaWorld Orlando. “Any time there is an animal in need, we are there to help them. That is the goal here at SeaWorld: to rescue, rehabilitate and return as soon as possible.”

The rehabilitated manatees were each tagged prior to release which allows Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute to monitor their movements.  This data contributes to ongoing research and conservation of the species.  The rehabilitated manatees that were returned to the wild include:

• BamBam who was rescued on January 18, 2015 as a young calf suffering from severe cold stress. After spending two years at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, he was returned to the wild last year.  An infield health assessment, however, showed that he needed additional care due to cold stress and dehydration.  He will be carefully monitored for the next year and the teams are hopeful that he will become acclimated back to his natural environment.
• Goober, a young male who was found alone and malnourished in 2017. He was rescued by the FWC and spent a year at the Columbus Zoo after being stabilized at SeaWorld Orlando.
• Agua was rescued along with her mother Claro as a calf on June 24, 2016. Unfortunately, her mother did not survive her injuries.  Agua was transferred from ZooTampa to the Columbus Zoo before being transferred to SeaWorld Orlando.
• Camlee was also rescued as an orphaned calf on May 11, 2015. She was transferred to Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park from ZooTampa.  She was released in 2018 however she was brought to SeaWorld Orlando for additional rehabilitation treatment after developing cold stress and dropping a significant amount of weight.
• Percy was rescued by both FWC and the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens in late 2017 due to cold stress. For the first month, she spent time at SeaWorld Orlando’s acute care facility prior to being transferred to the Jacksonville Zoo in early 2018.
• MJ was an underweight, orphaned calf weighing just 60 lbs. at the time of her rescue in May 2016. After spending almost two years at SeaWorld Orlando she was transferred to the Jacksonville Zoo last March to complete rehabilitation.
• Baca has spent the past several years gaining weight and strength thanks to the cooperative efforts of both SeaWorld Orlando and South Florida Museum.

Florida manatees are at risk from both natural and man-made injuries.  Natural problems that manatees face include red tide, cold stress, and disease.  Human-caused threats include boat strikes, crushing by flood gates or locks, and entanglement in or ingestion of fishing gear.

Guests at SeaWorld Orlando can learn more about the wonderful life-saving work that SeaWorld Orlando does for wildlife at the park’s behind the scenes Rescue Center.  The Rescue Center is used for the rehabilitation of wildlife that has been ill, injured, or orphaned including manatees, sea turtles, birds, and other marine animals.

Source/ Photo Credit: SeaWorld Orlando

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