CLEARWATER, Fla. — A baby manatee was in luck Friday when employees from The Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute found her just in time.
The young manatee, one-to-two-weeks old, was alone, struggling in rough waters and struggling to breathe, when the team found her, a post on the aquarium's Facebook page said.
The calf was being washed against rocks during a storm when she was rescued.
Wildtracks, a non-profit in Belize, will take her in for rehabilitation.
A post on the Wildtracks Facebook page says it is likely the calf's mother was likely killed by a tourism boast near the country's coast.
It's the organization's first calf intake in two years, the post says, most likely due to the limited tourism and limited use of boats during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"She is emaciated, scarred and not yet stable," the post said. "We are monitoring her behavior and crossing our fingers that she makes it."
You can donate towards helping her at https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/saving-manatees-and-monkeys-in-belize-during-covid/.
