PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — A lone, cold-stressed manatee was rescued in Bayboro Harbor, near the USF-St. Pete campus last week by the FWC Fish and Wildlifelie Research Institute and ZooTampa.
When temperatures dip below 68 degrees Fahrenheit, manatees must seek warm water to avoid cold stress. The FWC said these animals typically seek refuge at natural springs or power plant outflows.
Water during hard freezes and cold snaps can become so cold that it can be fatal to manatees if they don’t find warm water in time.
The FWC said manatees show signs of cold stress if they seem slow or lethargic or if they have white lesions or sores.
“Our biologists estimate that this manatee is around 2-3 years in age, which may mean that it is the young manatee’s first winter without the guidance of its mother and had difficulty finding a suitable warm water refuge,” the FWC said.
The manatee was taken to ZooTampa to undergo care before being released back into the waters.
The FWC said on the same day last year, another small, lone manatee was found with symptoms of cold stress in the same harbor.
“Thanks to the careful eye of some informed students, both manatees were able to be rescued!” the FWC said.
To learn more about manatees and their habitat, visit myfwc.com.
Anyone who sees a manatee in distress can call the Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-3922.
