Five manatees were flown more than 1,000 miles to their temporary homes in Florida, marking a crucial conservation achievement following over two years of successful rescue efforts by four zoological and marine institutions.
In an intricate operation, DHL Express transported the manatees in custom-built, state-of-the-art containers, accompanied by a Columbus Zoo Animal Care curator, who monitored the manatees’ condition throughout the flight to Florida. There they will complete the final stages of their rehabilitation journey before they return to the waters where they were initially rescued.
The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, ZooTampa at Lowry Park and SeaWorld Orlando have partnered for several years to rehabilitate these five orphans.
Two male orphaned manatees, Nighthawk and Mr. Dobak, were transferred from the Columbus Zoo to SeaWorld Orlando, where they will continue to be cared for until they are released sometime this winter or early spring 2025.
Nolia, Amethyst and Waffles, all females, left Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden and 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 nonprofit critical care center in the United States, before moving to Cincinnati Zoo’s Manatee Springs in October 2023 for continued rehabilitation.
All of the manatees were moved prior to the arrival of Hurricane Milton and arrived safely at their planned destinations.
“As manatee continue to face hardships and critical care facilities operate close to capacity, these transfers are extremely important to make room for critically injured, ill and orphaned manatees,” said Tiffany Burns, ZooTampa’s senior director of animal programs and president of the Manatee Rescue & Rehabilitation Partnership. “We are grateful to our partners in Ohio for providing secondary rehabilitation. It’s an incredible team effort and we are excited about the manatees’ return to Florida waters early next year.”
Yet, even as these manatees prepare to return to their native waters, the conservation work to save manatees remains ongoing and crucial. Accompanied by a Columbus Zoo veterinarian and Cincinnati Zoo Animal Care team member, six young manatees traveled on the return flight back to Ohio to continue their rehabilitation.
As part of the Manatee Rescue & Rehabilitation Partnership (MRP), ZooTampa and SeaWorld Orlando provide critical care, including urgent veterinary treatment, 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.
For more information, visit https://zootampa.org/.
