After years in care, more than 20 manatees are back where they belong, in Florida waters.
The Manatee Rescue & Rehabilitation Partnership said in a press release that the animals were returned to their native waters after years of rescue, treatment, and rehabilitation.
AZA-accredited partners in the effort included SeaWorld Orlando, Zoo Miami, Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, Georgia Aquarium, Brevard Zoo, Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium, Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden, ZooTampa at Lowry Park, and The Seas with Nemo and Friends at EPCOT.
Each animal entered care during ongoing rescue work across multiple years. They were released only after experts determined they could survive in the wild.
“These releases are the reason we do what we do,” said Lindsay Garrett, Manatee Springs keeper at the Cincinnati Zoo, in the release. “We are so excited to see them start the next chapter of their lives swimming in their native Florida waters.”
The partnership said the releases show the level of coordination needed to care for large marine mammals, with the work relying on sustained collaboration rather than a single rescue.
“What’s special about the MRP is the way it brings organizations together through a coordinated network of partners, extending the reach of manatee conservation far beyond Florida,” Becky Ellsworth, curator of the Columbus Zoo’s Shores and Aquarium region, said in the release.
The release said manatees’ well-being is closely tied to the health of Florida’s waterways. It said struggles among manatees can signal broader environmental problems affecting coastal ecosystems.
Florida communities depend on clean aquatic environments for recreation, tourism, fishing, and local economies, according to the release. It said protecting species like manatees can help sustain the natural systems that benefit residents and visitors.
The partnership said rehabilitation can require extensive medical care, safe housing, and ongoing observation before animals can survive on their own.
“Our job is to get them to a releasable weight, and that is what we did,” Garrett said in the release. “The manatees ate approximately 60,240 lbs. of lettuce during their stay at the Cincinnati Zoo.”
A coalition of accredited zoos and aquariums carried out the rescue and rehabilitation work behind the releases. The release said sharing that responsibility across institutions allows animals to receive care over long periods.
“Manatees are an iconic species in Florida, and their conservation affects us all,” MRP president Tiffany Burns said in the release. “As these sea cows continue to face significant threats to their survival, it is more important than ever that we dedicate our time, energy, and resources to securing their future.”
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