Rescued manatee flown from Texas to Florida on cargo plane

CRYSTAL RIVER, Fla. — An ailing manatee that was discovered and rehabilitated in Texas late final 12 months was flown to Florida on a cargo aircraft and launched right into a bay close to a wildlife refuge alongside the Gulf Coast this week.

The manatee named TexasTeeMiguel was launched Wednesday into Kings Bay in Crystal River, Florida. Late final week, TexasTeeMiguel flew on a DHL Categorical cargo aircraft in a customized, state-of-the-art container constructed particularly for manatees.

Within the container, the manatee rested on a foam mattress and was lined in wool and area blankets to take care of a wholesome physique temperature. TexasTeeMiguel was misted with water underneath its blankets all through the journey. TexasTeeMiguel weighed 1,240 kilos (562 kg), a achieve up greater than 400 kilos (181 kg) from when the manatee was rescued.

It was a 24-hour journey from San Antonio with stops in Austin and Cincinnati earlier than reaching Orlando, the place a crew from SeaWorld Orlando stored TexasTeeMiguel for remark to ensure the manatee had not been burdened by the journey.

TexasTeeMiguel was present in Galveston Bay close to Texas Metropolis, Texas final December affected by chilly stress, flipper injury and extreme weight reduction, accidents doubtless incurred from a ship strike. TexasTeeMiguel was tagged and will probably be tracked and monitored in the course of the subsequent 12 months.

Earlier this 12 months, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Fee officers mentioned there have been 92 rescued manatees being handled at rehabilitation facilities across the nation — most of them in Florida together with vital care amenities at SeaWorld in Orlando and the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens.

An absence of seagrass forage throughout winter months has triggered an unprecedented die-off of manatees, together with a document of greater than 1,100 final 12 months. The FWC and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in March accomplished an experimental program that fed manatees greater than 202,000 kilos (91,600 kilograms) of donated lettuce close to an influence plant the place the animals collect throughout colder months.