Fort Myers, Florida – A wounded mother manatee Her calf and calf were rescued this week from a Florida river and taken to SeaWorld Orlando for rehabilitation, officials said.
Drone pilots provided rescuers Aerial viewpoint their boat toward manatees on Wednesday and then take to the skies to document the animals being pulled from the Orange River near Fort Myers.
Video shared by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office shows the boat carrying Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission employees first making a wide circle around the dugongs to encircle them in what looks like a fishing net.
Eventually, six people manage to hoist the manatee onto the boat, sending the mother and calf sliding onto the open stern and slippery deck. Dugongs can grow up to 10 feet (3 meters) long and weigh up to 1,200 pounds (544 kilograms).
The video shows at least one manatee being later lowered into ropes onto the boat ramp. The Sheriff’s Marine Unit and Advanced Technology Support Unit assisted. Officials did not have details about how the mother manatee became infected or their current conditions.
The manatees were transferred to SeaWorld Orlando, said Kelly Richmond, the wildlife agency’s director of research communications.
The mother and calf are among at least six manatees rescued in the province since Feb. 19 due to cold stress, watercraft injuries and malnutrition. Statewide, at least 24 more manatees have been rescued this year, and more than 20 animals have been released and rehabilitated through the Manatee Rescue and Rehabilitation Partnership.
Earlier this month, a manatee Seeking warm water He was Saved from storm drain In Melbourne Beach.