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Disney Conservation Helps the Rehabilitation and Release of Manatees Back Into the Wild

Credit: Disney

Disney Conservation Fund is changing the world. One of the most recent projects they have taken on is helping manatees. They collaborated with the Manatee Rescue and Rehabilitation Partnership and released a 680 pound manatee named Plantaina to a freshwater spring on St. Johns River. This is about 50 miles Northeast of Walt Disney World.

 Disney conservation fund

Credit: Disney

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Plantaina is a young female manatee who was rescued as a baby near Fort Lauderdale, Florida. She was found abandoned at less than a week old and was only 28 pounds at the time. She is the smallest manatee they ever rescued.

 

She had a successful time in rehab and was released in February of 2021; however, they discovered that she was losing weight and was not ready to be out in the wild. They took her back into another rescue and rehabilitation before coming to the Seas with Nemo & Friends at EPCOT.

Credit: Disney

During her time there, she did very well, and her weight was then up to a healthy 680 pounds. At that time, they realized that she could be released back to her natural habitat.

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Unfortunately, manatee rescue and rehabilitation is needing to become much more common. There is a severe lack of food as well as pollution that causes a lack of their main food source. Each of these manatees can eat up to 300 pounds of seagrass a day, and with there not being enough aquatic plants, this is a danger to them. Sadly, manatees are an endangered species, which could be a significant cause of this.

Disney's Conservation Fund

Credit :Disney’s Conservation Fund

Disney likes to collaborate with other rehabilitation facilities in Florida and that makes it possible to help these sick and injured manatees be restored fully back to health. When in their care, they are in a controlled, stable environment and given all of the veterinary care they need. This includes health exams, a calorie-rich diet, and monitoring around the clock.

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Once they are released into the wild, some manatee like Plantaina are given a satellite tracker that monitors the animals’ health.

 

Plantaina is one of six manatees to complete rehabilitation at Disney over the last year. They have assisted a successful rehabilitation and released 25 manatees over the years.

 

These manatees can eat up to 150 heads of romaine lettuce a day and treats like apples, carrots, and sweet potatoes.

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