New Efforts Made To Save Manatees After Record Die-Off In 2021

A manatee swims in the Homosassa River on Oct. 05, 2021, in Homosassa, Florida. Conservationists, including those from the Homosassa River Restoration Project, plant seagrass in the area to help restore the natural habitat for manatees and provide a feeding ground for the mammals, following a record year in manatee deaths in Florida. The deaths were primarily from starvation due to the loss of seagrass beds. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

They don’t yet have names, but two very young and under-nourished manatees orphaned out in the wild, male and female, recently made the journey from SeaWorld to their new home at an aquarium in Atlanta for some sorely needed rehabilitation.

Barely 1 year old, the manatees arrived on March 9 at the Georgia Aquarium as part of a joint effort of the Manatee Rescue and Rehabilitation Partnership to provide expert care and facilities for the creatures, which are dying in record numbers due to starvation.