TAMPA, Fla. – Three of tiniest manatee calves ever treated at ZooTampa’s David A. Straz, Jr. Critical Care Center, have returned to ZooTampa at Lowry Park to continue their rehabilitation journey after traveling more than 1,000 miles alongside five other manatees as part of a multi-institution collaboration effort.
In an intricate operation, the manatees- Piccolina, Soleil, and Calliope, who now weigh more than 2500 pounds combined – were placed alongside five other manatees in custom-built, state-of-the-art containers on a specially scheduled DHL cargo plane. In the upcoming months, the manatees will complete the final stages of their rehabilitation before they are released back into the wild.
“These transfers are extremely important as it allows 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.”
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Yet even as the three females return to their native state, the conservation work to save manatees never ends – three other young manatees, Nolia, Waffles, and Amethyst caught the return flight back to Ohio to continue their rehabilitation.
Juvenile manatees must reach a goal weight of 600 pounds to be considered for release. ZooTampa’s David A Straz, Jr. Critical Care Center has cared for more than 500 injured, sick, and orphaned manatees.
A dedicated team of animal care and medical staff tend to Florida’s iconic species 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
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