Manatee returns to Salt Springs after rehabilitation at Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens
Published:
Tags:
Manatee Returns to Salt Springs after Rehabilitation at Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – After three months in rehabilitation, the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens released a male manatee Wednesday in the Salt Springs Recreation Area.
The manatee is the 22nd release from the Manatee Critical Care Center.
This is the second rehabilitation for the manatee. He was named Jesup for his original rescue location in 2020, Lake Jesup in central Florida. He was brought to SeaWorld to treat emaciation and cold stress syndrome, then released two months later to the same area, according to the Jacksonville Zoo.
The manatees are back, the manatees are back!
At least that is what it felt like last week at Jacksonville University. Despite the still cold water, we had a manatee visit our boat dock. There is nothing like one of these charismatic megafauna appearing and causing students to get excited.
Most manatees leave the Northeast Florida area every winter when the water temperatures drop below 60 degrees. And while water temperatures are still what I would consider cold, they are rising above 60 degrees during these bright sunny days. When the water is below 60, it is potentially fatal to manatees that may suffer from cold stress and can die.
Florida manatees are a federally protected threatened species. Releasing these animals not only marks the successful rehabilitation of five more manatees, it also frees up critical space so additional manatees can be treated at our zoo, said Craig Miller, curator of mammals.
Two of the manatees females Amelia and Irma were released Monday after spending almost a year at the center. Their tenure marked the most animals that have been housed in the facility at the same time, according to the zoo.
Amelia and Irma were rescued in 2017 as orphaned calves and initially taken to SeaWorld Orlando. They came to Jacksonville in February 2020.