PREVIEW

Cincinnati Zoo has some new damp, rotund residents - as the latest batch of manatees in need of a bit of rehab and loving care have arrived at its Manatee Springs rehabilitation centre.

Lilypad, Orchid, both sadly orphans, and Vora arrived there to replace Nolia, Amethyst, and Waffles, who are now ready for their next chapter after reaching a suitable weight for release.

The zoo's dedicated manatee rehabilitation team will care for the new trio.

“It’s incredibly rewarding to see the manatees that we care for return to their natural environment,” said Lindsay Garrett, head keeper of the North America department. “While it’s exciting to meet and care for new manatees, it’s also sad to see a constant stream of injured and orphaned animals in need of rescue and rehabilitation.”

Cincinnati Zoo plays a crucial role as a second-stage rehabilitation facility in the Manatee Rescue and Rehabilitation Partnership (MRP), helping relieve pressure on Florida’s overloaded rescue centres.

The zoo provides a safe environment where manatees are fed on lettuce, and receive veterinary care until they are strong enough to be returned to the wild. As one of the few facilities outside Florida offering non-critical care for manatees, the zoo’s efforts also allow Midwestern visitors to learn about these fascinating animals.

Kim Scott, the zoo's curator of mammals, shared her thoughts on the programme: “Our partnership in the Manatee Rescue & Rehabilitation Partnership and collaboration with so many dedicated organisations gives everyone at the Cincinnati Zoo great pride. It’s an honour to care for these amazing animals, and it’s incredibly fulfilling knowing our work helps return them to their natural habitat.”

The three new manatees each have unique rescue stories. Vora is a female calf rescued on 2 October 2023 from Lake Santa Barbara in Broward County, Florida. She weighed just 57 lbs at the time of rescue and now weighs 282 lbs. Lilypad is a female orphan calf rescued on 8 December 2023 from Salt Springs, Marion County, started at 97 lbs and has now grown to 296 lbs. Orchid, also a female orphan calf, was rescued on 13 March 2024 from Three Sisters Springs in Citrus County. She weighed 165 lbs at the time of her rescue and now tips the scales at 420 lbs.

With these arrivals, the Cincinnati Zoo will have cared for 32 manatees since it began its involvement in the MRP programme in 1999.
The manatees are not the only new attractions at Manatee Springs. Two alligator gars - the fish pictured with their manatee pals - named Dolly Garton and Busta Slimes, will also be making their debut when the exhibit reopens later this week.

The Florida manatee, which was downgraded from endangered to threatened in 2017, remains at risk from both natural and human-induced threats. Red tide, cold stress, and disease pose significant risks, while human activities such as boat strikes, entanglement in fishing gear, and pollution-related habitat destruction continue to threaten the species. In recent years, particularly along the Atlantic coast, the manatee population has faced alarmingly high mortality rates due to the destruction of seagrass beds – their primary food source – by pollution. With the population now estimated at over 13,000, including more than 6,500 in the southeastern U.S. and Puerto Rico, these threats could have lasting effects on the species' survival.