Rescuers from ZooTampa at Lowry Park’s Manatee Rescue Team traveled to the pond, which is near the Big Bend Wildlife Management Area. In a Facebook post shared Tuesday, the organization said the likely reason the manatee ended up in the pond was “significant storm surge flooding” from Hurricane Helene in September.
“Manatees that are displaced by storm surge waters often remain in unusual locations with limited food sources after the surge recedes,” the post says.
The “remote terrain” and “challenging location” in which the manatee was trapped made it difficult for rescuers, the post says. But responders and partner institutions were able to safely remove the male manatee from entrapment.
Post-rescue, the young sea cow — now named Gully — was transported to ZooTampa for a more thorough evaluation and rehabilitation. At 500 pounds, Gully falls short of the average 1,000-pound threshold for adult manatees, and was deemed underweight.
ZooTampa stresses that November is Manatee Appreciation Month, and to keep eyes peeled for manatees in Florida waterways — any manatee in distress should be reported to FWC at (888)-404-FWCC.
Friday also marks the start of Florida’s manatee viewing season, which is when the manatee population is at its largest. The season runs through March 31.
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This article appears in Nov 13-19, 2024.