Three female manatees arrived at ZooTampa in Florida in 2021. The babies had been found swimming alone in nearby waterways. Manatee calves stay with their mothers for about two years. But these babies’ moms were nowhere to be found.
The calves were in bad shape. Most manatees weigh 65 pounds at birth. But one of the babies was just 44 pounds!
So rescue workers stepped in to raise them. They named the manatees Calliope (kuh-LYE-uh-pee), Soleil (soh-LAY), and Piccolina (pih-koh-LEE-nah).
It was the start of an amazing journey of survival. The marine animals would be moved hundreds of miles over the next two years. They’d travel on trucks and planes. Then they’d be returned to the wild.
Three female manatees arrived at ZooTampa in Florida. It was 2021. The babies had been found in nearby waterways. They were swimming alone. Manatee calves stay with their mothers for about two years. But these babies’ moms were nowhere to be found.
The calves were in bad shape. Most manatees weigh 65 pounds at birth. But one of the babies was just 44 pounds!
So rescue workers stepped in to raise them. They named the manatees Calliope (kuh-LYE-uh-pee), Soleil (soh-LAY), and Piccolina (pih-koh-LEE-nah).
It was the start of an amazing journey of survival. The marine animals would be moved hundreds of miles over the next two years. They’d travel on trucks and planes. Then they’d be returned to the wild.