Puerto Rico Guard Helps Save Manatee
By Master Sgt. Bryan Gatewood
6th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
WASHINGTON, Dec. 10, 2010 – An 840-pound male West Indian manatee, injured in a boat strike, has a new lease on life, a new name and a new home thanks to the Puerto Rico Air National Guard.
The 156th Airlift Wing of the Puerto Rico National Guard partnered with specialists at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the South Florida Museum, where the manatee was being treated after rescue, to transport the manatee to a rehabilitation center in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Dec. 9, 2010.
Fish and Wildlife Service representatives contacted officials from the Puerto Rico Air National Guard for help in transporting the manatee. A Puerto Rico ANG C-130 Hercules already was here on base supporting maneuvers for U.S. Special Operations Command and could be put to use for transport.
According to Dr. David Murphy, consulting veterinarian from the South Florida Museum, the sea mammal, nicknamed “UPC” because its injuries resemble a package barcode, is healthy. However, the manatee requires special accommodations in a shallow containment area due to its injuries sustained.
Biologist Dr. Antonio Mignucci-Giannoni added that the boat strike damaged the manatee’s diaphragm, causing the animal to be “negatively buoyant,” which means it will sink if not in a shallow containment area.
The manatee, now called Guacara, will reside at the Manatee Conservation Center in San Juan, and will serve as a surrogate parent to other orphaned manatees in rehabilitation.The West Indian manatee currently is listed under the Endangered Species Act.
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