Manatee to be moved to Mexico

The five month old baby manatee, dubbed Hercules, found stranded in the waters off Vista Del Mar Tuesday morning is still alive at the abandoned shrimp hatchery at mile five on the Western Highway. But according to the Coastal Zone Management Institute while the orphan is in a good condition and in a secure area, in order for it to stay alive he must be moved to a long term care facility. Hence the Belize Marine Mammal Survival Network, which has been feeding and monitoring the mammal’s progress around the clock, has been working hard to also get Hercules to a facility in Xcaret, Mexico. The baby manatee, which is scheduled to leave on Monday, will be transported by road in a customized vehicle that will be coming from Mexico. In the meantime the B.M.M.S.N. is asking for the public’s continued support towards keeping Hercules alive. There is also a need for volunteers to assist in taking care of the calf on a twenty four-hour schedule. If you would like to donate time or money please contact the Coastal Zone Management Institute at telephone numbers 30719 or 35739.