JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens hosted Manatee Appreciation Day, where people could learn all about conservation efforts. and preview the new manatee habitat coming in the future.
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Derek Mock is the interpretive engagement supervisor in the education department. He said the zoo does wildlife celebration days once a month.
“We’re highlighting manatees this month to bring attention to the Manatee Rescue Rehabilitation Partnership showing how it takes a community to do these rescues and rehabilitation,” Mock said.
He said that manatees are an endangered species and the zoo wants to raise awareness so the community can help protect them.
There were activities for attendees like the FWC boat and rescue truck, to see the process of rescuing a manatee.
“Our 26-foot modified mullet skiff is designed for rescuing manatees. The transom comes off and we have a 300 foot net that we are able to encompass injured manatees, haul them on board, transport them to our transport truck and bring them to a rehab facility,” Nadia Lentz of the FWC said.
She also said that they average about a dozen manatee rescues a year for the northeast region that they serve.
There were other educational and interactive activities to learn manatee anatomy and how to spot them in the wild.
The zoo is also raising money to pay for its new manatee rescue habitat, which will also serve as its new entrance. It’s expected to open in 2026.
“The Manatee River project is part of our rejuvenation...we’ll have a lot of different things up there, like an amphitheater and a gift shop,” Ashley Nelson, manatee care specialist, said.
She added that they will be able to care for three times the manatees.
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