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Press Release
FWC rescues manatee with watercraft-related injuries

Press Release

October 14, 2009 

Contact:

Carli Segelson (727) 896-8626

FWC RESCUES MANATEE WITH WATERCRAFT-RELATED INJURIES

Photo Credit: FWC    View Larger Image

Photo Credit: FWC    View Larger Image

Photo Credit: FWC    View Larger Image

Biologists with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's (FWC) Fish and Wildlife Research Institute rescued a manatee in Shell Key Bay near Goodland in Southwest Florida on Tuesday.

Staff from the Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, along with citizen volunteers, helped FWC biologists and law enforcement officers pull the approximately 8-and-a-half-foot, adult female manatee aboard the rescue boat.

After the rescuers brought the manatee to shore, they transported it to Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo for rehabilitation.

Biologists rescued the animal because of visible watercraft-related injuries, including fresh wounds on the manatee's right side. The manatee was listing to one side, which may indicate a punctured lung filled the body cavity with air.

To report a dead or distressed manatee, call the FWC Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922).

For more information on manatee research, visit research.MyFWC.com/manatee.