They live in warm sea waters. Florida has manatees in its waters. Manatees are pretty funny-looking. They have whiskered lips and huge round bodies. Their ears are tiny holes on the sides of their heads. You can't see them unless you get very close.
Manatees do not harm other animals. Being so big, you might think they would have a loud roar. But manatees make little squeaking and whistling sounds!
Lately the manatee has been having some problems. Cold temperatures have caused manatees to die. Sometimes they get caught in fishing lines and nets. They can't come up for air. This causes them to drown. But people cause most of the manatees' problems. Manatees usually swim just under the surface of the water. People driving boats often don't see the manatees. They drive too fast and run over them. New laws say that boaters now must drive very slowly through the manatee's waters. It's up to people to help save the manatees.
Special manatee "ambulances" are now used to rescue sick or hurt manatees. This is not easy! A crane is used because manatees are so heavy. The manatees are carefully rolled into the special ambulance. They are taken to manatee "hospitals." There are three manatee hospitals in Florida. One is in a zoo in the city of Tampa. The zoo has a huge manatee aquarium. Specially trained people take care of the manatees. The manatees eat a special diet at the zoo. The zoo keepers feed them romaine lettuce, carrots, wheat and oat sprouts. These foods are most like the plants the manatees eat when they are free. They are also given vitamins. The zoo keepers hide the vitamins in monkey biscuits. The manatees think the biscuits are a real treat! Sooner or later, most manatees are set free in the warm sea waters.
Scientists have ways to keep track of how manatees are doing. Many manatees have been run over by boats. This leaves scars on their backs. Scientists take pictures of the scars. This helps to identify certain manatees. They also put special radio collars on the tails of the manatees. Then the manatees are let loose into the sea. The collars give signals that let the scientists follow the manatees.
Hall, Alice J. "Man and Manatee: Can We Live Together?" National Geographic, v.166, Sept., 1984, pp.400-413.
Lewis, Thomas A. "Slow creature caught in a fast world." National Wildlife, v.28, Dec./Jan., 1989/90, pp.42-49.
Sargeant, Frank. "Manatee mystery." Tampa Tribune, Dec. 27, 1989, p.1G.
Sargeant, Frank. "New laws can save manatees." Tampa Tribune, Dec. 27, 1989, p.1G.
Walters, Mark J. "Marvelous, magnificent manatees." Reader's Digest, v.127, Aug. 1985, pp.171-176.
White, Jesse R. "Man can save the manatee." National Geographic, v.166, Sept., 1984, pp.414-418.
Wiley, John P., Jr. "Manatees, like their siren namesakes, lure us to the deep." Smithsonian, v.18, Sept., 1987, pp.92-97.
Photos were taken by George Howlett at the Lowry Park Zoo Manatee and Aquatic Center in Tampa.
To find out more about manatees, check out the
articles listed above in the Sources section or click here
and here.
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