8 rehabilitated manatees flown home to Florida to return to open waters
TAMPA, Fla. - Eight rehabilitated manatees were flown over 1,000 miles to Florida, three of them to Zoo Tampa at Lowry Park, following more than two years of rehabilitation in Ohio.
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Zoo Tampa at Lowry Park, the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, and SeaWorld Orlando have partnered for several years to rehabilitate the eight orphans.
The three manatees returning to Tampa from Cincinnati were initially rescued in the spring and summer of 2021 as some of the tiniest calves ever treated at ZooTampa's David A. Straz, Jr. Critical Care Center.
Photo courtesy: Zoo Tampa
All three calves received intensive care at ZooTampa for 18 months before being moved to Cincinnati Zoo's Manatee Springs in November 2022. They will now be cared for at ZooTampa until they can be released into the Crystal River in February.
"These transfers are extremely important as [they] allow us to make room to care for critically injured, ill and orphaned manatees," said Tiffany Burns, senior director of animal programs. "We are grateful to our partners in Ohio for providing secondary rehabilitation. It’s an incredible team effort, and we are excited about the manatees’ return to Florida waters early next year."
In addition to the three moving to Tampa, five orphaned manatees were transferred from the Columbus Zoo to SeaWorld Orlando.
Photo courtesy: Zoo Tampa
DHL Express transported the manatees in custom-built containers, accompanied by people with the Cincinnati and Columbus Zoo who monitored the manatees' condition throughout the flight.
To keep their bodies moist, the animals were misted with water under their blankets throughout the flight.
"Moving manatees is an extremely complex process that involves significant planning and logistics to ensure that each specific need is met throughout the journey," said Cain Moodie, SVP Network Operations, DHL Express Americas. "We are thrilled to play a key role in this initiative to support endangered manatees in the wild, leveraging our team’s expertise to ensure each animal is transported as quickly and safely as possible."