Florida manatees find new homes

Twelve manatees were released on Monday into Blue Springs State Park near Orlando, Fla. The park’s warm waters protect the manatees from otherwise stressful winter temperatures. The sea cows were rescued from the wild and recovered at several locations, including SeaWorld, EPCOT, and Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens. The Manatee Rescue and Rehabilitation Partnership says Florida manatees face several threats, including watercraft strikes, toxic red algae, entanglement, entrapment, and habitat loss.

Why is their release significant? Over 1,000 manatees died in Florida in 2021, a record high since the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission started tracking their deaths in the ’70s. Fewer manatees died last year after a state-backed feeding program was established. While this year’s winter has been relatively mild, the director of Clearwater’s manatee research and conservation division says several starving, injured, and sick manatees have been found on Florida’s coast.

Dig deeper: From the WORLD archives, read John Dawson’s report about how ecosystem disruptions are likely to blame for increasing manatee deaths in Florida.