Watch: Orphaned baby manatee rescued in Florida after being found by boaters
The orphaned manatee is less than one month old, according to Sea World Orlando, where the calf is currently being rehabilitated.
Baby manatee rescued in Florida after being found alone, in distress
A baby manatee was rescued in southern Florida on Tuesday after it had become separated from its mother.
KEY LARGO, Fla. – A baby manatee was recently rescued in southern Florida after it had become separated from its mother.
The calf was found by boaters, who noticed it was alone in a waterway with a strong current. There, he appeared struggling and fatigued, the Dolphin Research Center's Allie Prokovec told FOX Weather. The center, along with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC), rescued the animal.
The orphaned manatee was less than one month old. The calf being alone at such a young age is peculiar as calves stay with their mothers for up to about two years.
The baby manatee.
(Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission / FOX Weather)
The location of his mother was a mystery. Prokovec noted that the rescue team found no evidence that she had passed away. Another possible scenario was that the mother and calf became separated, resulting in the calf becoming lost.
Overall, calves can be orphaned for a number of reasons.
"This is one of the reasons it is always important to respect wildlife and keep your distance," she said. "You could be unknowingly separating a mother from her calf."
After the calf was found and then tended to by the rescue team, he was taken to Sea World Orlando, where they say he is currently receiving the care necessary for him to safely return to the wild.
Sea World Orlando said the manatee has not yet been named as of Thursday.
FILE: Mother manatee and her baby in the warm water springs of Three Sisters Springs, Florida.
(Gregory Sweeney / U.S. Fish and Wildlife / FOX Weather)
The organization advised that any individual who spots a stranded manatee or any marine animal that appears injured or in distress to notify the Florida FWC, and to not intervene.