After Its Mother Was Killed, This Baby Manatee Had No Way To Survive. And Then This Happened
This summer I was a part of a manatee rescue. This little man was found in the waters of Belize struggling to stay at the surface after his mother was presumably killed by a boat. An adult manatee was found dead nearby.
On the trip to the rehabilitation center, he was wrapped in a wet t-shirt and had water poured on him to keep his skin moist.
He needed 24-hour support in the water. He had no strength to swim or stay afloat.
The next day he refused to drink from a bottle, so he had to be tube fed to get some nutrients into his tiny body.
He soon was able to swim around and would only require a little help to get a deep breath.
He became quite the cuddly little manatee. He started drinking from a bottle and had quite the appetite.
He is now quickly gaining weight and will eventually be released back in the wild where he belongs!
If you live in areas with manatees, please be careful when boating. These really are amazing creatures.
Credit: Imgur.