You Can Name a Baby Manatee
 |
ZuZu, the manatee calf named by last year's winner Dr. Lori Civello.
(Photo by Wayne Hartley, FDEP) |
It's not every day you get the opportunity to name an endangered Florida baby manatee after yourself or someone else. But once a year you do! Save the Manatee Club’s annual “A Manatee Is My Namesake” donation drawing allows participants a chance to name a manatee baby whose mother regularly winters at Blue Spring State Park, near Orange City, Florida.
Recently, the first winner in the draw was announced. Dr. Lori Civello, an Illinois veterinarian, decided on the name, ZuZu, after her three-year old American Staffordshire Terrier. Dr. Civello explained the name was inspired by the ZuZu character from the movie classic, “It’s a Wonderful Life.” “Entering the donation drawing contest was a way to help the manatees and have a good time,” she said.
Ranger Wayne Hartley at Blue Spring, and Save the Manatee Club’s executive director, Patrick Rose, chose Lola’s calf to be named ZuZu. Tracing the family tree, Lola is the daughter of Lucille, who is one of the manatees currently featured in the Club’s Blue Spring Adopt-A-Manatee program. Lucille was born on August 10, 1980 to Luna, who was also a Club adoptee at that time and the matriarch of Blue Spring’s first identified fourth-generation manatee family. When Lucille was born, researchers were busy tracking Luna, which is why Lucille’s exact date of birth is known. “That type of precise documentation of manatees living in the wild was rare,” stated Hartley, who has worked with manatee research since his arrival at Blue Spring State Park almost three decades ago.
Luna, first identified in 1978, died from unknown causes in 1997, but she leaves behind numerous descendants, including ZuZu. Lola, born in 1985, and has been hit repeatedly by boats resulting in multiple tail injuries. Lola has had seven calves and six are alive and still visiting Blue Spring. Her daughter, Precious, has made her a grandmother five times over, but two of those manatees have died. ZuZu also has an uncle Lenny, who is Lucille’s older brother. Lenny is another popular adoptee at the Club.
For $25, new “adoptive manatee parents” receive an adoption certificate, manatee photo and biography, and a membership handbook. Members receive a subscription to the Club’s official quarterly newsletter, The Manatee Zone, which includes manatee adoptee updates, and also the bi-monthly E-newsletter, Paddle Tales. Funds from the adoption program go toward conservation and education programs, manatee research, rescue and rehabilitation efforts, and advocacy and legal action.
The Club hopes ZuZu will become a regular at Blue Spring during the winter months so that eventually she can be included in the adoption program along with the other adoptees.
When born, calves are about 3 feet long and weigh 60 pounds on average. They are darker in color than their mothers. Newborns are capable of swimming to the surface on their own and vocalize at or soon after birth with short chirps and squeals – “signature” calls that help a manatee mom identify her own baby. Before starting on life’s adventure as an independent juvenile, ZuZu, like all wild manatee calves, will learn from her mother where to go for food, freshwater, and warm-water winter refuges from cold water temperatures. ZuZu will remain with her mother, Lola, for up to 2 years before being weaned to meander Florida’s rivers, streams, bays, and estuaries on her own.
Participate in this year's namesake donation drawing
The donation fee is $10 for each name submitted.
Adopt-A-Manatee
|
|
