A manatee swam into a retention pond after Ian — then water began to recede, FWC says
To the rescue.
A manatee trapped in a retention pond in Fort Myers after Hurricane Ian got a lucky break Friday.
According to a Facebook post from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the agency received a call about the sea cow in distress near Billy Creek.
A team of marine biologists responded to the area to check on the marine mammal, which was reportedly in good condition.
The manatee was apparently able to access the retention pond system during last month’s storm when water levels were high from excessive rain and storm surge. The creature became trapped after levels began to recede.
The FB post shows the giant net that was cast in order to corral the manatee and subsequently extract it. The gentle giant was hauled out of the water, measured and then prepped to receive a passive integrated transponder. The so-called PIT tag is a tiny microprocessor capable of transmitting a “unique identification code” when scanned by a detector, the FWC said.
The manatee, which looked to be about 10 feet long, was loaded into a rescue transport truck where it was kept cool and wet before being transported to the nearby Orange River.
The FWC ends the post with asking the public to contact its Wildlife Alert hot line if you see any sick, injured, orphaned, or entrapped manatees at 888-404-3922.
This story was originally published October 17, 2022 at 6:27 PM.
