Orphaned manatee nursed by volunteers
In March of 1998 a baby manatee, dubbed “Hercules” was rescued near the Belize Port Authority, nursed by volunteers and then transported to Xcaret, Mexico where he is reported to be doing well. This past weekend another baby manatee got some human assistance. The volunteers know that this little one will also have to go to Mexico and they are trying, rather unsuccessfully, not to get too attached. News Five was at “camp manatee” on Wednesday night.
Woody was found stranded in the waters off Buttonwood Bay just outside Belize City. The calf, which is only three weeks old, was severely dehydrated and dying when it was rescued. Woody’s mother was either killed or deserted the calf because she was ill and could not take care of it. The manatee, which is a little over three feet long, was quickly placed in a child’s pool filled with tap water. It is being constantly monitored by the Belize Marine Mammal Stranding Network and a group of volunteers.
Tania Simmons, Volunteer
“He is so cute. Well I am kind of sad because he is only three weeks old and he is without a mother and I know he is all stressed out because he doesn’t know who we are and what we are doing to him and worrying what we are doing to him. So I am a little sorry for him.”
But, just as a baby consoles itself with a pacifier, Woody has found comfort inside his pool. The calf has been slowly improving and his caretakers are proud of the mammal’s progress. One group of volunteers, who are members of GAP Challenge, a U.K. based organization doing work in Belize, has set up camp to do the late night shifts.
Q: “Is this the first time you all are experiencing something like this?”
Volunteer #1
“Yes. I mean it is the first time that we are actually seeing a live manatee. When we came here, we didn’t know much at all about what we were going to be doing but we also have had quite an opportunity to learn a lot just by watching.”
Volunteer #2
“We are not actually allowed to get emotionally involved with him but it has been really hard; yeah it is quite hard. It has definitely got a personality all of its own.”
Volunteer #3
“It is awkward, he does not want to come out of the pool to be fed. Yes, he has ups and downs. Like this afternoon he was swimming around and sucking inside of the pool and tonight he is like, I can’t be bothered.”
Volunteer #4
“He likes to splash everybody when we try to get him out.”
The young Britons say they are only too happy to do what it takes to save an endangered specie.
Jacqueline Woods
“It takes commitment, patience, the love of animals and as you can see, a good bottle of formula to keep a fragile mammal like Woody alive.”
The manatee is given a lukewarm mixture of pedialyte, puppy formula, canola oil and amino acid tablets every three hours. The manatee’s breathing and other movements are noted and recorded. Because Belize does not have the proper facilities or personnel to take care of sick or stranded manatees, the plan is to transfer Woody to Xcaret, Mexico where he will continue to be monitored until he can be released back in Belizean waters.
Nicole Auil, Researcher, C.Z.M.A.I.
“It is very, very, very expensive. Right now we are running on volunteers and on my volunteers. We can’t keep a manatee for one year on volunteers. It has to have constant care; it has to have a permanent person there, and it can’t be switched and really switching isn’t that good but that’s my only option right now.”
Since January, twelve manatees have been found dead, however, the team is determined to not have Woody become the latest statistic.
The team appeals to all boat owners to be careful when travelling through our waters. If you would like to donate food or volunteer your time to take care of Woody, call the Coastal Zone Management Institute at 02-30719. Currently there are less than nine hundred manatees in Belize.
