Dolphin Research Center’s Manatee Rescue Team, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and Florida Keys Aquarium Encounters rescue a manatee on Dec. 31 in Marathon.
Dolphin Research Center’s Manatee Rescue Team, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and Florida Keys Aquarium Encounters rescue a manatee on Dec. 31 in Marathon.
MARATHON — An emaciated manatee with a large laceration was rescued Dec. 31 in Marathon.
Dolphin Research Center’s Manatee Rescue Team, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and Florida Keys Aquarium Encounters participated in the rescue.
Residents had earlier spotted the manatee and reported its condition to the FWC, which asked DRC to respond. After locating the animal, the rescue team surrounded it with a long net and pulled it onto land for further assessment.
The male manatee was approximately 8 feet long with a visible laceration on the back and displayed signs of a collapsed lung. The rescuers first transferred the animal to a stretcher and carried it to a FWC transport truck. FWC personnel then drove the manatee to SeaWorld in Orlando for further treatment.
Founded in 1984, Dolphin Research Center, located at mile marker 59 on Grassy Key, is a nonprofit organization and the licensed Manatee Rescue Team for the Florida Keys.
