ORLANDO, Fla. — It’s a big day for Crumpet the manatee. After a six-month rehab stay at SeaWorld, he’s returning to the wild on Thursday.
Crumpet was first spotted in distress at FPL’s Manatee Lagoon in January. Officials said he was buoyant and swimming sideways, indicating that there was an internal issue that required rescue. But by the time rescuers arrived, he’d left the area.
A couple of weeks later, rescuers caught up with Crumpet at Port Everglades and transported him to SeaWorld in Orlando for treatment.
Now tipping the scales at 1,500 pounds, he’s ready to return to the wild. On Thursday, Crumpet will be loaded into the transport truck by SeaWorld staff members to be released at Anchorage Park in North Palm Beach.
If you see a sick, injured, dead or tagged manatee, keep your distance and call FWC’s Wildlife Alert toll-free number: 1-888-404-FWCC (1-888-404-3922). You can also dial #FWC or *FWC on a cellphone.
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ZooTampa joins forces with Puerto Rico conservation center to rescue manatee ZooTampa joins forces with Puerto Rico conservation center to rescue manatee (ZooTampa/ZooTampa)
ZooTampa joins forces with Puerto Rico conservation center to rescue manatee ZooTampa joins forces with Puerto Rico conservation center to rescue manatee (ZooTampa/ZooTampa)
ZooTampa joins forces with Puerto Rico conservation center to rescue manatee ZooTampa joins forces with Puerto Rico conservation center to rescue manatee (ZooTampa/ZooTampa)
ZooTampa joins forces with Puerto Rico conservation center to rescue manatee ZooTampa joins forces with Puerto Rico conservation center to rescue manatee (ZooTampa/ZooTampa)
ZooTampa joins forces with Puerto Rico conservation center to rescue manatee ZooTampa joins forces with Puerto Rico conservation center to rescue manatee (ZooTampa/ZooTampa)
ZooTampa joins forces with Puerto Rico conservation center to rescue manatee ZooTampa joins forces with Puerto Rico conservation center to rescue manatee (ZooTampa/ZooTampa)
ZooTampa joins forces with Puerto Rico conservation center to rescue manatee ZooTampa joins forces with Puerto Rico conservation center to rescue manatee (ZooTampa/ZooTampa)
ZooTampa joins forces with Puerto Rico conservation center to rescue manatee ZooTampa joins forces with Puerto Rico conservation center to rescue manatee (ZooTampa/ZooTampa)
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Sarah Wilson joined WFTV Channel 9 in 2018 as a digital producer after working as an award-winning newspaper reporter for nearly a decade in various communities across Central Florida.
