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Rescued manatees released back into the wild
Lloyd Sowers reports
APOLLO BEACH, Fla. - It's great news for two young manatees that were nursed back to health. They were released into the wild this afternoon near Apollo Beach.
"Just to see them when they come in, and they’re just so sick, and we’re not sure if they’re going to make it, so to see the other side of it never gets old," says Molly Lippincott, senior curator of Florida Animals at Zoo Tampa, where the released manatees were initially treated last year before being taken to the Georgia Aquarium for continued rehabilitation.
READ: Tampa Electric's Manatee Viewing Center sets 'amazing' new record of manatees gathered
They’ll join a record-setting 1,100 manatees recently counted here at Tampa Electric’s Big Bend Power Plant, where manatees find the warm water they need to survive.
"That just tells us that the number of manatees in the State of Florida is definitely going up, which is what we’re looking for," says Lippincott.
Several years ago, federal officials took manatees off the Endangered Species list, although they’re still considered threatened and have special protection under federal law.
In the 1970s, the number of manatees was in the hundreds. Recent counts indicate that there are now more than 6,000. However, some experts believe manatees still face obstacles to the long-term survival of the species.
Recently, manatees in Florida's Indian River Lagoon faced starvation because of dwindling seagrass, their main food source. Studies show that Tampa Bay has also experienced a serious loss of seagrass in recent years.
Scientists believe the seagrass decline is caused by pollution, including fertilizer runoff from lawns. Pollution is also blamed for more serious outbreaks of Red Tide, which can also be deadly to manatees.
Some also believe that climate change and rising sea levels could negatively affect sea cows.
"Those are long-term impacts, not something that’s fixed overnight," says Lippincott. "We’re really happy the numbers are increasing, but we see these record numbers when it’s really cold for long periods."
The numbers she’s speaking of are manatees suffering from cold stress. Long periods in water below 68 degrees can kill manatees. The Manatee Critical Care Center at Zoo Tampa recently took in three manatees in one day, a new record for the facility.
"And this winter’s not over, and we don’t know what’s to come," says Lippincott.
The two manatees released today will soon find out as they rejoin what scientists hope is a growing number of manatees.