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Injured Manatee Gives Birth To Twins At Seaquarium

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Apr 20, 2006 11:20 am US/Eastern

Injured Manatee Gives Birth To Twins At Seaquarium

Twin Babies Are Named "Pumpkin" & "Patch"

by Joy Purdy
VIRGINIA KEY (CBS4 News) ― An injured manatee is not only getting nursed back to health at the Miami Seaquarium, now she's nursing twin babies.

The momma manatee, named "Ocean Reef" gave birth to twins around 8:00 a.m. Thursday morning in the manatee exhibit pool at the park.

The female baby is named "Pumpkin" and the male is named "Patch".

All three remain in guarded condition.

"Ocean Reef" arrived at the park on February 22nd, 2006, injured and pregnant. She had been hit by a watercraft and was suffering from several fractured ribs which had punctured her lungs. The manatee was diagnosed with Pneumothorax, a fatal condition in which the manatee's lungs become filled with air pockets affecting their buoyancy in the water.

She was rescued by officials from the Fish and Wildlife Commission and the Dolphin Research Center, off Pumpkin Key, close to Ocean Reef near Key Largo.

(© MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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