KEY BISCAYNE, FLA. (WSVN) - A manatee has returned to the wild after months of recovery from a boat injury.
The Miami Seaquarium received a call from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission in early January that a manatee was found injured in Key Largo and needed their help.
Now named Key Lime Pie, the 475-pound sea cow has since been successfully rehabilitated.
The Seaquarium’s animal care supervisor, Julie Heyde, is happy to see him return home to the Key Largo waters.
“He had a lot of things that he had to recover from, some broken bones, broken ribs,” said Heyde.
A team of 12 made the return possible, helping Key Lime Pie get loaded into a stretcher, then a box that was lifted by a crane to a transport truck.
Heyde said boaters are encouraged to obey speed limit signs so injuries to manatees like Key Lime Pie can be avoided.
“It does help those animals. If you’re moving slow enough, they can get out of the way on time,” said Heyde.
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