TAVERNIER, Fla. – Two baby manatees were rescued Sunday in the Florida Keys after their mother had been found dead, wildlife officials said in a news release.
Mary Stella, a spokeswoman at the Keys-based Dolphin Research Center, of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission received word of the dead manatee on the bay side of Tavernier.
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The FWC asked Dolphin Research Center marine mammal experts to confirm the death. They found the dead manatee and realized it was known to reside in the area and had been nursing twin manatee calves born this past May, the release stated.
Since the manatees were not old enough to survive on their own they were rescued by Dolphin Research Center and FWC personnel. The babies were transferred to the Miami Seaquarium to be examined and start rehabilitation. They will hopefully be released into the wild when they're able.
The death of the mother is under investigation. Her death could have been caused by a boat strike but a necropsy will be performed to determine the exact cause.