Cincinnati Zoo’s New Manatees 

BY CRICKET COLLISTER

Since 1999, the Cincinnati Zoo has been partnering with organizations such as Seaworld, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, and other organizations to help injured, starving, and orphaned manatees. They are brought to the zoo, rehabilitated, and eventually released back into their native waters. The Cincinnati Zoo is one of only two locations outside of Florida that work with the US Fish and Wildlife’s Manatee Rescue and Rehabilitation Partnership.

Like many other grazing animals, Florida manatees play an important role in influencing plant growth in the shallow rivers, bays, canals, and coastal waters. Usually, manatees rely on natural springs to stay warm during the winter, but many of these springs have been damaged, altered, or completely destroyed due to groundwater pumping, urban development, and dams. 

Manatees face many challenges in their natural habitat. Collisions with boats, habitat loss and degradation, fishing gear entanglement, human harassment, harmful algal blooms, and climate change, all bring threats to the manatees usual way or life. Under Manatees Protection Status, they are listed as “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act. This means that manatees are likely to become endangered in the foreseeable future.  

On March 24, 2021, three manatees arrived at the zoo. Originally, only two manatees were expected, but due to a significant influx of manatees at Seaworld, Orlando, a third came as well. Two manatees, named Alby (male) and Manhattan (male) arrived with names, and the Cincinnati Zoo staff named the third SwimShady (male). 

Alby was rescued from the Halifax River in Volusia County, Florida in August of 2020. Manhattan was rescued as an orphan from St. Augustine Beach in St. Johns County, Florida in October of 2019. SwimShady was rescued as an Orphan from the Berkley Canal in Brevard county in December of 2020. 

Cincinnati Zoo curator Winston Ray shares the importance of the Cincinnati Zoo’s involvement in the US Fish and Wildlife Services Manatee Rescue and Rehabilitation Partnership (MRP): “The goal of the MRP is to rescue, rehabilitate, and release manatees, and we’re honored to play a role in this important conservation work. In addition to rehabbing manatees, we get to educate and inspire visitors when they see these amazing creatures!”  

Many manatees come to the zoo for long term rehabilitation and since 1999, 19 Manatees have been rehabilitated, and 17 have been released.