ORLANDO, FLA. (WSVN) - A manatee that was found in a Melbourne Beach storm drain was released into the wild.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission released images showing Melby the Manatee being released after spending time recovering at SeaWorld Orlando.
The manatee was in the storm drain, inside what’s called a “baffle box” in February.
Officials said that the animal likely swam into the drain when the bitter cold snap hit parts of Florida.
“It could be manatees need to find hot water, hard to say exactly what the cause was,” said zoological specialist Mallorie McCormack.
The FWC said that he was moving around and showed no signs of distress.
Officials took him in, where Melby thrived, gaining over 100 pounds since the rescue, thanks to the SeaWorld team.
“That was really, really awesome that someone was able to spot him because if he was not being able to be found, he would not have a fortunate outcome,” said McCormack.
Efforts are underway to prevent other manatees from getting stuck in storm drains.
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