Five manatees were successfully rehabilitated at two Ohio zoos and flown back to facilities in Florida to prepare for a release back into their home waters.
Courtesy Columbus Zoo and Aquarium
What’s Happening:
- Five Manatees were flown more than 1,000 miles to their temporary homes in Florida after two years of successful rescue efforts by four zoological and marine institutions, including SeaWorld Orlando.
- The five orphan manatees have been rehabilitated by these organizations, which also include the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, ZooTampa at Lowry Park, and the aforementioned SeaWorld Orlando.
- The operation saw the five manatees placed in custom-built containers to help them travel safely and then driven to the Cincinnati International Airport, where they were loaded onto a specially scheduled DHL Cargo Plane to head to Florida, where they will complete the final stages of their rehabilitation.
- After their rehabilitation is complete, the five manatees will be released and returned to the waters where they were originally rescued.
- The two male orphaned manatees of the bunch, named Mr. Dobak and Nighthawk, were transferred from the Columbus Zoo to SeaWorld Orlando.
- Both were initially rescued as orphaned calves from Charlotte County, Florida on January 20, 2023. They were observed in the same area alone with declining body conditions, and at the time of rescue, they were bottle fed once they were in professional care.
- They will continue to be cared for at SeaWorld Orlando until they are released sometime this winter or early spring 2025.
Courtesy Columbus Zoo & Aquarium
- Nolia, Amethyst, and Waffles, all females, left Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden and are headed back to ZooTampa’s David A. Straz, Jr. Manatee Critical Care Center.
- The trio was rescued in January and February 2023 and transported for treatment to ZooTampa, which is home to the largest non-profit critical care center in the United States.
- The three calves received around-the-clock intensive care for approximately 10 months before moving to Cincinnati Zoo’s Manatee Springs in October 2023 for continued rehabilitation.
- It is also important to note that all of the manatees were moved prior to the arrival of Hurricane Milton and arrived safely at their planned destinations.
Photo Courtesy SeaWorld Orlando
- While these five were returned to Florida, both The Columbus Zoo and the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden received more rescued manatees to care for on their return flight.
- The Columbus Zoo received three orphaned manatees—two females and one male. Upon their arrival at the Zoo’s Manatee Rescue and Rehabilitation Center, they joined long-term resident and fan favorite, Stubby, who is considered to be a conditionally non-releasable animal after suffering a boat strike.
- Her condition is evaluated every five years to determine if she is ready or not to return to Florida, but it is unlikely that she will move out of this category.
- Instead, she has often voluntarily assumed the role of a surrogate mother looking after the other manatees. Cobble, Clawford, and Sabal have quickly taken to Stubby who has already shown a strong interest in them, showing the new arrivals around the habitat.
- The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden also welcomed three new manatees, Lilypad, Orchid, and Vora, from SeaWorld Orlando. Vora was rescued in October 2023 from Pompano Beach, Florida, while Lilypad was found in Salt Springs, near Ocala, in December, and Orchid was rescued in Crystal River in March 2024. Each calf weighed somewhere between 58-165 pounds at the time of their respective rescues and were all severely malnourished.
- After months of care at SeaWorld’s critical care facility, the manatees will now continue their rehabilitation in Cincinnati until they reach an ideal weight for release back into their natural habitats.
- As part of the Manatee Rehabilitation Program, ZooTampa and SeaWorld Orlando provide critical care to injured manatees in Florida. The Columbus and Cincinnati zoos are two of only three facilities outside of Florida to care for manatees and serve as second-stage rehabilitation facilities to provide temporary homes, food, and veterinary care for manatees until they are ready to return back to Florida waters.
What They’re Saying:
- Dr. Joseph Gaspard, Vice President of Zoological Operations at SeaWorld Orlando and Vice Chair of the Manatee Rescue & Rehabilitation Partnership: “For nearly five decades, we have been privileged to contribute to the conservation of manatees, a species that is essential to the health of our aquatic ecosystems. Our work, with the remarkable partners of the Manatee Rescue & Rehabilitation Partnership, has allowed us to play a key role in the rescue, rehabilitation, and return of these incredible animals that hold a special place in Florida’s natural heritage. At our critical care facility at SeaWorld Orlando, we are equipped to care for up to 60 manatees simultaneously, providing a level of support that is rare in the United States. This facility, along with our ability to collaborate with other zoological institutions, allows us to transfer rehabilitating manatees when stable. By doing so, we ensure that valuable space is always available, maximizing our collective ability to safeguard the future of these remarkable creatures.”