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Zoo treats two manatees for frostbite
By SUSAN THURSTON © St. Petersburg Times, published January 7, 2001 TAMPA -- Frostbite can happen in the Sunshine State. Just ask caretakers at Lowry Park Zoo's manatee hospital. The zoo is treating two manatees rescued from chilly water in the Tampa Bay area. Rocky arrived Friday; Frosty on Dec. 22. Both suffer from "Florida frostbite," a condition brought on by long exposure to cold water, said Valerie Burke, assistant curator for Florida mammals at the zoo. If they hadn't been found, they could have died. Members of the zoo and the Florida Marine Research Institute rescued the 81/2-foot-long Rocky from Rocky Creek after state wildlife workers saw him in the canal. Frosty came from Bayboro Harbor near the research institute in St. Petersburg. Experts suspect the mammals were looking for warmer water and couldn't escape the cold. To survive, manatees need water of about 68 to 70 degrees. Rocky was found in 55-degree water, lethargic, dehydrated and shivering. "He was bad. He was cold," said Burke, who helped bring him in. "He felt like he had come out of the refrigerator." The 680-pound male remained in guarded condition Saturday. His tail had white splotches and lesions from the frostbite. His front flippers and nose also showed signs of overexposure. Workers tube-fed Rocky vitamins and antibiotics to protect against infections and to reintroduce food to his system. They gave him the full spa treatment: an iodine back scrub, flipper massage and warm water bath. When all was done, Rocky rested comfortably in an 80-degree holding tank. Pieces of lettuce swirled above him on the surface. Burke said it's too early to say when Rocky and Frosty will be released, if ever. Frostbite can have long-term effects, including abscesses and even amputation. Frosty already lost a piece of tail. "Our intention is to put them back in the wild. We're not looking to keep an animal in captivity . . . but if they're not 100 percent, they don't go out," Burke said. In the past nine years, the zoo's David A. Straz Jr. Manatee Hospital has treated 77 manatees, most for injuries from boat propellers. Several years ago, zoo workers returned a manatee to the wild that had lost a flipper to frostbite. Scientists estimate that 2,200 to 2,500 manatees remain in Florida waters. Every year, about 10 percent die, many of them killed by boat propellers. At 21/2 years old, Rocky has 10 propeller scars. Efforts to save the endangered creatures got a boost last week, when federal regulators agreed to limit the development of marinas, piers and docks near manatees. The agreement stemmed from a lawsuit by environmental groups that accused the government of not doing enough to protect the animals. Steps also are being taken to save the manatees from dying as old power plants and pulp mills shut down, halting the flow of warm water into canals. The animals have come to depend on the warm water during the winters and are often slow to adapt their migration patterns. The public can help by reporting any manatees seen in cold water for a long period, Burke said. Although Rocky and Frosty were both spotted by wildlife officials, the majority of manatees are found by people on the water. She expects many more are out there. To report a manatee in distress, call the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission at (800) 342-5367.
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