ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A manatee will be undergoing rehabilitation at ZooTampa after being rescued Thursday off the shores of St. Petersburg.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission received a call about a distressed manatee in Bayboro Harbor. Once FWC staff arrived, they determined it was a cold stressed juvenile male.
The manatee was loaded onto a tarp and immediately transported to ZooTampa for rehab. Further details about his condition and when the manatee can be released are unknown at this time.
ZooTampa recently released two rehabilitated manatees, Corduroy and Pebbles, into the warm waters that surround the TECO Manatee Viewing Center.
When Florida gets cold, manatees flock to warmer waters. Cold stress is usually seen in smaller manatees during the winter season, FWC reports.