TAMPA, FLA. (WSVN) - Animal care teams in Tampa rescued a manatee from frigid waters after it was found wandering alone.
The staff is keeping a close eye on the 1-year-old, 270 pound manatee.
The young manatee was found all alone and away from his mother near the University of South Florida's Saint Petersburg campus.
"This time of year, it's cold. Manatees really shouldn't be here," said Andy Garrett, FWC's Manatee Rescue Coordinator.
Manatees aren't able to effectively regulate their body temperatures in cold waters, which leads to a condition call cold stress.
If in this state for long periods of times they can lose body heat and eventually die.
They typically rely on warm spring water to survive during the colder months.
" And that's from the cold stress[points to white spots]. So when they're in cold water, they restrict blood flow to their extremities so we start to see whitening around their pectoral flippers," said a woman.
It will take about a year for this rescued manatee to transition back into the wild.
And unfortunately, he likely won't be the zoo's last rescue.
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