Jul 17, 2007 1:05 pm US/Eastern
Rescued Manatee & Calf To Be Returned To The Wild
'Ocean Reef' Rescued Feb. 2006
She Delivered Twin Calves April 2006, Only 1 Survived
Click HereTo Track The Manatees On-Line
LC
MIAMI (CBS4) ―
A rescued manatee and its calf are being released Tuesday in the Florida Keys.
The female manatee, named "Ocean Reef", was rescued by staff members at the Dolphin Research Center in Feb. 22, 2006, off Ocean Reef on North Key Largo.
Veterinarians determined injuries were caused from impact with a boat's motor and also discovered the mammal was pregnant.
According to veterinarians, the injury fractured several of her ribs causing the ribs to puncture her lungs. The manatee was diagnosed with Pneumothorax, a normally fatal condition in which the manatee's lungs become filled with air pockets affecting their buoyancy in the water, making them unable to dive underwater.
Rescuers named the manatee 'Ocean Reef', for the location that it was found.
'Ocean Reef' was transported to the Miami Seaquarium where it was cared for and subsequently delivered twin calves on April 20, 2006. The calves were named 'Pumpkin' and 'Patch' but sadly, 'Patch' died a few days later.
"Pumpkin', however, is quite healthy, eating well and weighs about 400 pounds.
'Ocean Reef' will be fitted with a satellite tracking and monitoring system to give scientists more information on manatees in their natural habitat.
But specialists aren't the only ones who can check on the health and well-being of "Ocean Reef", so can you.
With the help of those special satellite monitoring devices, anyone can log in to
www.wildtracks.org and track the manatees in the wild.
You can also help the manatees with a simple phone call. If you ever see an injured, dead, harassed or orphaned manatee, you are asked to call the Florida Wildlife Conservation Commission at any of the following phone numbers:
(305) 470-6863, (305) 956-2500, or 1-888-404-FWCC (3922).
(© MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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