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MELBOURNE BEACH, Fla. (WFLA) — An operation involving several agencies successfully freed a young male manatee from a storm drain in Melbourne Beach on Tuesday.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission reported that an architectural firm employee alerted them via the FWC Wildlife Alert Hotline after hearing the manatee’s distinctive chirps. Upon investigating, they discovered the creature through a manhole cover.
Though the exact circumstances of the manatee’s predicament remain unknown, rescuers hypothesize it ventured into the drain in search of warmer waters following a recent cold spell across Florida.
Brevard County Fire Rescue commented on the collaborative effort, stating, “It took a village to free the sea cow.”
The rescue team included local agencies, the FWC, public works, Jack’s Wrecker Service, and specialists from the University of Florida Veterinary Emergency Treatment Services (UF VETS), all contributing to the successful extraction.
After the manatee was discovered, the next step was getting permission to start digging the road up so rescuers could access him. Brandi Phillips, Animal Technical Rescue Branch Director for UF VETS, said after that permission was received, the operation took around two hours.
“This was a heavily coordinated effort across multiple agencies and community partners, and everyone came together with great communication and collaboration to ensure the quickest possible response,” Phillips said.
After hours of teamwork and some heavy lifting, the manatee was successfully freed from the drain.
FWC said the adventurous sea cow was underweight and had open wounds near his tail and flippers, but was quickly transported to SeaWorld Orlando for rehabilitation.
On Tuesday, SeaWorld Orlando shared an update on the manatee’s condition after his arrival late Monday night.
“He’s breathing on his own, moving independently and showing interest in food. Our teams are adjusting water levels to support buoyancy and comfort as part of his care,” the statement said. “Our goal is always to stabilize and rehabilitate rescued manatees so they can ultimately be returned to the wild.”
FWC shared a reminder that anyone who sees an injured, distressed or dead manatee can call FWC Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922).
“Your call may save an animal’s life,” FWC wrote.