FORT PIERCE, Fla. — A manatee who was stranded in Fort Pierce has safely relocated back to the water, thanks to a little help from wildlife and rescue crews.
The U.S. Coast Guard Station Fort Pierce said their local partners at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission called them to help save a 9.5-feet stranded female manatee at a sandbar.
FWC biologists were able to conduct a health assessment on scene. They determined that the manatee was healthy enough to return back to the water instead of being transported to a rehabilitation center.
"Please call the FWC hotline at 888-404-3922 to report injured, stranded, or dead marine mammals," the U.S. Coast Guard Station Fort Pierce said in a statement. "Remember to never push back a stranded marine mammal as they strand for a reason and would need to be evaluated to determine if rehabilitation is necessary.”
