Manatee deaths have been on the rise this year across Florida’s Gulf Coast. While boats remain a threat, severe cold has also taken a huge toll. Wildlife officials are working to respond, rescue and protect these vulnerable animals.
Manatee Rescue Operation
Sister station WBBH’s crew joined Florida Fish and Wildlife crews for a behind-the-scenes look at what goes into a manatee rescue operation. On Big Hickory Pass in Bonita Springs, you’ll find Joey Nelson kayaking in beautiful Gulf Coast waters, surrounded by wildlife. Manatee sightings are a regular highlight on the tours he gives.
Assistant research scientist Denise Boyd says manatee rescues are up this year. In just one week in February, they found 25 dead manatees in Lee County alone. “We had a lot of animals succumb to the cold temperatures,” said Boyd.
WBBH’s crew also saw FWC rescue a distressed mama manatee and her baby. The lab houses staff who respond to manatee rescues and mortality events in the southwest region. “We rely on citizens to report, to provide some information, either a photo or video. The first thing we take into account is the animal’s location,” said Boyd.
Once it’s all loaded up, it’s off to the boat dock to hit the water. The team’s biggest tool is a 300-foot net used to carefully capture the manatee. “We need 10 people on board so we have the physical strength to pull an adult manatee on board, which can be over 1,200 pounds,” said Boyd.
Back on the dock, the rescue continues on land as crews transfer the manatee into a climate-controlled truck, before taking it to a critical care facility. “We’ll just keep the animal cool and moist. They breathe oxygen, so they’re fine sitting on the foam pads. If it’s winter time and there’s concerns for cold stress, the heat will be on in the truck. We have heat blankets on the animal, and we’re able to slowly warm them during transport,” said Boyd.
Original reporting: WPBF (Treasure Coast / Hearst) — read the source article.
