Featured Image Credit: Miami Seaquarium
It’s time for Cadbury the rescued manatee to carry on in the wild on his own!
First found in Monroe County in April of 2014, the baby manatee orphan was only a few months old and weighed less than 100 pounds. He was brought to the Miami Seaquarium for recovery and rehabilitation because it would not have survived in the wild without its mother.
For the first six months, Cadbury received proper treatment at the Miami Seaquarium before being transferred to the Columbus Zoo. Two years later, the manatee is a happy, healthy and hearty adult.
Now spanning almost 8 feet long, the 3 year old manatee was transferred back to the South Florida based Miami Seaquarium this past November. Upon his return, Cadbury was placed on a sea grass diet that would prepare the seacow to go back to the wild.
With help from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Tuesday afternoon, Cadbury was transported to Key Largo where the 600-pound manatee was released.
Miami Seaquarium went live for the the event on their Facebook page. Watch the video above!
Want to follow the manatee’s travels? Cadbury was tagged for monitoring and can be tracked in the wild at www.wildtracks.org.