An injured manatee mom and her baby are safe after a successful Southwest Florida rescue mission.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission responded to an incident in which a mother manatee was hit by a propeller more than 20 times.
Her baby refused to leave her side so, with assistance from the Cape Coral Police Department, the FWC rescued them together.
Video footage shows the moments that at least 10 people helped hoist up the mama manatee onto a boat with a net.
This rescue mission comes less than one month after at least 30 manatees died in the Orange River of Lee County.
FWC is the state agency charged with protecting manatees, which are listed as a threatened species.
Biologists estimate there are between 8,000 and 12,000 manatees in Florida waters.
Manatees are a protected species per the federal Endangered Species Act.
Population growth over the past decade allowed for the species to be reclassified from being an endangered species to a threatened species in 2017, according to the FWC.
Being struck by boats is a large reason for manatee fatalities. According to the FWC, more than 90% of manatees sustain injuries from watercrafts in their lifetimes.
It is “exceedingly rare for an adult manatee to not be struck multiple times in its life,” according to a study by the Fish and Wildlife Research Institute.
Collisions with boats result in both sharp and blunt force trauma, which can result in death. These incidents account for at least 20-25% of reported manatee mortalities.
To report a distressed or dead manatee, call the FWC at 888-404-3922.
Tayeba Hussein is a breaking news reporter for The News-Press & Naples Daily News. Reach her at thussein@usatodayco.com.
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This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Watch: SWFL manatee rescue mission saves propeller-injured mom, baby
Reporting by Tayeba Hussein, Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News / Fort Myers News-Press
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