TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — A mom manatee and her calf are on their approach to restoration at ZooTampa’s crucial care heart after spending months trapped in a canal.
A rescue group consisting of greater than 10 organizations discovered the pair within the Faka Union spillway in Port of the Islands final week.
Biologists imagine the manatees accessed the six-mile stretch of canals throughout final 12 months’s storm surges however have been unable to swim again out as soon as water ranges dropped.
A wildlife biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service was the primary particular person to identify the calf miles upstream, in line with NBC affiliate WBBH. Then, extra experiences began flooding in as neighbors within the Port of the Islands group took discover.
Rescuers mentioned the mom was emaciated however her calf gave the impression to be in good situation, regardless of the months they spent stranded.
After finding the manatees, crews loaded them onboard a ship and took them to the David A. Straz, Jr. Manatee Essential Care Middle for “much-needed rehabilitation.”
“We’re all the time grateful to work alongside such a formidable rescue group to make sure this mom and calf obtain the care they want!” ZooTampa wrote in a social media post concerning the rescue.
