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Hurt manatee thriving after losing flipper
An amputated manatee named Southpaw is now receiving care from SeaWorld. Southpaw's flipper had to be amputated after she was tangled in a crab trap. A vigilant Titusville resident found her struggling through heavy debris in the Indian River Lagoon and reported her to wildlife officials.
ORLANDO, Fla. - A severely injured manatee named Southpaw is swimming and recovering at SeaWorld Orlando after a tangled crab trap forced veterinary teams to amputate her right flipper. She’s getting a second chance thanks to an observant couple in Titusville.
Florida manatee rescue
The backstory:
Good Samaritans first spotted the marine mammal struggling against the heavy debris in the Indian River Lagoon near Titusville in September.
Waterfront resident Terry Morse noticed the entangled animal and immediately alerted state wildlife officials with photographic proof. Morse said, "If it doesn’t look right, doesn’t look normal to you, then question it."
Wildlife officers from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission stepped in and transported the distressed animal directly to the rehabilitation facility at SeaWorld.
Since then, she’s been undergoing lifesaving treatment to remove a crab trap from her right flipper.
Veterinary surgeons could not save the damaged limb, but the specialist team successfully freed her from the dangerous commercial gear and saved her life.
Senior zoological specialist Mallorie McCormack said, "They were able to remove that line."
SeaWorld veterinary care
What's next:
The manatee, now named Southpaw, still needs more TLC. She’s receiving medicine and being monitored to make sure she gains weight.
The observant caller, Terry and her family and friends, visited the park Wednesday to check on the recovering patient.
She added, "I feel very honored to be a part of her, a little part of her journey back to a second chance."
Losing one flipper won’t hold her back. Southpaw should make a full recovery and will be releasable.
Lagoon release plans
What we don't know:
Caregivers do not yet have a confirmed calendar date for releasing the animal back into coastal waters. FWC has the final say on these releases.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from Titusville resident Terry Morse, who witnessed the distressed animal and called state rescuers, as well as SeaWorld Senior Zoological Specialist Mallorie McCormack. FOX 35 Reporter Esther Bower visited SeaWorld and also first reported on the September rescue.