Rescued manatee, entangled with fishing lure, released back into her natural habitatÂ
Still shot from FWC video.
Crystal River, Florida - A manatee, rescued in Crystal River on February 20, 2023, was released back into her natural habitat on January 11, 2024, after nearly a year of rehabilitation at ZooTampa at Lowry Park in Tampa, Florida, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) Research Institute.
Last February, the FWC Research Institute received a call about a small, thin manatee with a large fishing lure hooked to its face and flipper (see photo) in Three Sisters Springs in Crystal River.
The manatee was located by the FWC team. The lure, which was attached to her left flipper and the left side of her face, limited the manatee's range of motion and caused pain when she tried to use the flipper to swim.
The 2 year-old, 6-foot, 3-inch-long manatee was rescued the same day, captured with a net. One end of the fishing lure came out of the manatee during her rescue, and the other end was later removed. The manatee was taken to ZooTampa at Lowry Park to recover. She received antibiotics and suffered no permanent damage. At ZooTampa, the young manatee was dubbed ‘Allure.’
Every day, debris intentionally or accidentally ends up in Florida’s lakes, waterways and marine environments. Learn how to help prevent entanglements and be a part of the solution at MyFWC.com/boating/stash-the-trash.
Entangled manatees should always be reported to the FWC. Marine mammals who are entangled should only be removed by wildlife officials. Report entangled, injured, sick, or orphaned manatees to the FWC’s Wildlife Alert Hotline at 1-888-404-3922.
View a video of Allure, shortly before her rescue, at https://bit.ly/3tVHqkA.
View a video of Allure being released back into Three Sisters Springs at Instagram.com/fwcresearch/reel/C2NoW9ttT0N.