Featured Image Credit: Angela Millsap
By Laura O’Brien
An Ohio family helped save a baby manatee this April during their vacation to Florida. The family spotted the young manatee alone in shallow water and decided to call the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. They even stayed on the phone until rescuers arrived, to ensure that the baby manatee was found. Rescuers took the manatee to Miami Seaquarium for treatment, but the road ahead remains unclear. The FWC released a Facebook post which stated, “it is rare to have a manatee at this young age survive, but we hope he is on the road to growth and recovery”. According to the FWC, the baby manatee was dehydrated and had not nursed for several days when he was rescued. We hope that the Ohio family’s compassion and the efforts of Miami Seaquarium will help the young manatee have a shot at a long, happy life.
Marine mammal and turtle strandings often indicate that the animal is injured or sick. Animals that are in unusually shallow water, or are not moving may be in trouble. If you see a stranded animal, you may help save its life by calling a stranding hotline near you. Stranding hotlines exist all over the world, but the phone numbers and responding organizations vary by region. If you are in the United States, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration provides a webpage to determine what stranding hotline you can call in your area here https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/report .
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