News and Stories

Manatee care team ready to rehabilitate young females

CINCINNATI, OH (October 8, 2024) – Over the weekend, Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden’s most recent residents of Manatee Springs were returned to Florida to prepare for release into their home waters.  They spent a year being rehabilitated in Cincinnati to get to a releasable weight.  Unfortunately, the manatee rescue facilities in Florida are at capacity, so the vacancy left by Nolia, Amethyst, and Waffles, was quickly filled. Lilypad, Orchid, and Vora are now swimming in Manatee Springs, and the manatee rehab team is ready to feed and care for them. They will be visible to the public starting this Thursday.

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“It’s incredibly rewarding to see the manatees that we care for return to their natural environment,” said Lindsay Garrett, head keeper, North America department.  “And, while it’s exciting to meet and care for new manatees, it’s also sad that there seems to be an unending stream of injured and orphaned animals in need of rescue and rehabilitation.”

Cincinnati Zoo serves as a second-stage rehabilitation facility in the Manatee Rescue and Rehabilitation Partnership (MRP). Its role is to provide plenty of food, primarily lettuce, and veterinary care until the manatees are big and strong enough to be returned to Florida waters. It is one of a handful of facilities outside of Florida that provide non-critical care for manatees. Providing second-stage care opens valuable space at critical care facilities and gives Midwesterners the opportunity to learn about these remarkable animals.

Meet the new manatees:

• Vora- Rescued on 10/2/2023 from Lake Santa Barbara- Pompano Beach/Broward County. Natural Orphan Calf, Female. Rescue weight- 57 lbs. Current weight- 282 lbs.
• Lilypad- Rescued 12/8/2023 from Salt Springs/Marion County. Natural Orphan Calf, Female. Rescue weight- 97 lbs. Current weight- 296 lbs.
• Orchid- Rescued 3/13/2024 from Three Sisters Spring- Crystal River/Citrus County. Natural Orphan Calf, Female. Rescue weight- 165 lbs. Current weight- 420 lbs.

“Our partnership in the Manatee Rescue & Rehabilitation Partnership (MRP) program and collaboration with so many dedicated organizations give everyone at the Cincinnati Zoo great pride,” said Cincinnati Zoo curator of mammals Kim Scott.  “It’s an honor to care for these amazing animals. There is nothing better than seeing them thrive and grow in the dedicated hands of our manatee keepers.  Caring for a species that is part of an active rehabilitation and recovery program is incredibly fulfilling, there is nothing more satisfying than knowing the work we do every day leads to a manatee returning to its home in the wild.  We are excited to welcome Orchid, Lilypad and Vora to Cincinnati.”

With the arrival of these three, Cincinnati Zoo will have cared for 32 manatees since it began participating in the MRP program in 1999.

The manatees aren’t the only new residents that visitors will see when Manatee Springs reopens later this week.  Two alligator gars, Dolly Garton and Busta Slimes, will also be swimming in the pool.

The Florida manatee, downgraded from endangered to threatened in 2017, continues to be at risk from both natural and man-made causes of injury and mortality. Exposure to red tide, cold stress, and disease are all problems that can affect manatees. Human-caused threats include boat strikes, crushing by flood gates or locks, and entanglement in or ingestion of fishing gear. For the last two years the Atlantic coast population has been experiencing alarmingly high mortalities. Manatees are starving because pollution from agriculture, septic tanks and urban runoff is killing the seagrass on which they rely. The population is believed to be at least 13,000, with more than 6,500 in the southeastern U.S. and Puerto Rico, mostly in Florida. The significant decline of their food source on the Atlantic coast will most likely have long term effects on the overall population.

The Zoo is open daily from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Members enjoy early entry starting at 9 a.m.  DID YOU KNOW…. You pay more than $10 less per ticket, on select days, when you purchase tickets online!  That’s a $40 savings for a family of 4!