Wildlife officials working to prevent threatened Florida manatees from starving to death say they’re encouraged that some of the marine mammals’ favorite food is growing naturally in a key area.
that fed manatees more than 202,000 pounds of donated lettuce near a power plant where the animals gather during colder months. Officials say a similar program is in the works for the coming winter.As of Wednesday, FWC officials said there were 92 rescued manatees being treated at rehabilitation centers around the country — most of them in Florida including critical care facilities at SeaWorld in Orlando and the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens.
Jon Wallace of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said the new seagrass growth is positive but the plants could easily be wiped out by a sunlight-choking summer algae bloom. Fully restoring seagrass and improving water quality will take years, he added.People interested in assisting the manatee program canto a FWC-affiliated organization. Distressed manatees can be reported by calling a hotline at 888-404-FWCC .
There are only an estimated 7,520 of the animals in the wild today, according to the state wildlife commission. Manatees are gentle round-tailed giants, sometimes known as sea cows, and weigh as much as 1,200 pounds and live as long as 65 years or so. Manatees are also Florida’s official state marine mammal.
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