Florida Marine Research Institute Rescues Baby Manatee from 'Rough Waters' in Belize
Clearwater Marine Aquarium/Facebook
Animal lovers are applauding members of the Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute in Florida for rescuing a baby manatee in Belize.
On Tuesday, the Clearwater Marine Aquarium announced on Facebook that a few of their research institute team members rescued the female calf after noticing her struggling to survive in the water with no mother in sight.
"This manatee was observed alone for an extended period of time and was having difficulty breathing and navigating rough waters," the Florida aquarium shared on Facebook. "Young manatees can become separated from their mothers during stormy weather, as they may not be strong enough to fight strong currents in the water."
Clearwater Marine Aquarium/Facebook
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Clearwater Marine Aquarium/Facebook
The post included photos of the manatee being bottle-fed by team members, along with the announcement. Experts believe the baby manatee is between 1 to 2 weeks old. The wild animal was found with scarring on her body. The aquarium said that Wildtracks, a Belize-based conservation organization, will now provide "round-the-clock care" for the calf.
"The Wildtracks Team is working hard to stabilize her, but even once that has been achieved, she still has a long way to go through the rehab process before she is ready for release," Wildtracks shared in a Facebook update. "We are counting her breaths, monitoring her behavior, and crossing our fingers that she makes it ... 24 hours a day until she stabilizes."
"We are hopeful for a successful rehab, so this animal can return to the wild!" the Clearwater Marine Aquarium added.
Wildtracks is asking for donations to contribute to the baby manatee's rehab.
