VIRGINIA KEY, FLA. (WSVN) - The Miami Seaquarium has released a manatee back into the wild after nurturing it back to health.
The manatee — better known as Jar-Jar Branch — was rescued after a boat struck it in 2017.
It was found critically injured and unable to go underwater.
“It’s the hull of the boat that hit him,” spokesperson Julie Heyde said. “That created a lot of damage internally, lots of broken ribs, some lung damage, he ended up having some buoyancy control issues and has been healing ever since.”
After two years of medical care and rehabilitation, it was time for the manatee to go home.
Summer campers at the Seaquarium helped the rehabilitation team with the release as part of an educational conservation activity.
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