LEE COUNTY, Fla. — A sea cow gets another chance at life.
The Lee County Sheriff's Office Marine Unit and FWC biologists are to thank for the rescue of an 800-pound manatee.
They teamed up to free the animal from being wedged in mangroves.
"The manatee was badly dehydrated and starving due to it being stuck for several days," the department said on its Facebook page.
"We are grateful to have the opportunity to work alongside FWC to save this manatee’s life. Although the manatee has a long road of recovery ahead, it is alive and currently located at the Tampa Zoo."
According to FWC, The Florida manatee population has grown to a minimum of 7,520 animals. As a result, the species was reclassified from an endangered to a threatened species under the federal Endangered Species Act in May, 2017.
"Florida manatees are considered one of the state’s keystone species whose behavior can alert researchers to the environmental and habitat changes that may otherwise go unnoticed in Florida’s waterways for extended periods of time", FWC says.
A job well done by the Marine Unit and FWC biologists!
Click here to learn more about how you can help the species.
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