JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Right now, zookeepers at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens are taking care of an injured manatee that was brought to the zoo on Monday.
The sea cow was hit by a boat and found in a river near St. Augustine.
The Jacksonville Zoo's newest resident has a long road to recovery.
The manatee arrived on Monday but a large gash from where it was hit by a boat can still be seen on its back. That collision also caused air buildup inside the manatee's body, which causes her to float awkwardly on her side.
"For wounds like this we give fluids and antibiotics to work that out and eventually they're able to heal themselves enough to right themselves, it's a long process," said Ashley Nelson, a Mammal Keeper with the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens.
Nelson expects this particular manatee to rehab at the zoo until the late fall or early winter.
"She's roughly 388 pounds and she's just under 2 years old," says Nelson, "we like them to be 600 pounds or more before we're able to release her so we want her to gain a lot of good weight before releasing her."
Going back to the wild is the plan for all 5 of the manatees currently being cared for at the Jacksonville Zoo.
Soon the zoo hopes to be able to double the amount of manatees that they care for.
"We're looking to expand our facility and we started a $50 million capital campaign," said Nelson, "some of the proceeds will go to help build the new facility and we'll assist with more manatees and make a difference."
In the meantime, these manatees get specific medical care.
They also get fed nearly 700 pounds of romaine lettuce per week, certainly a healthy snack while they recover.