Mutilated Manatee Found In Biscayne Bay:
Senseless Act Appears To Have
Happened After Manatee Died

For further information, contact:

Patrick Rose
Executive Director
Save the Manatee Club
Phone: (850) 570-1373

For Immediate Release:  November 14, 2006

Save the Manatee Club is offering a reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for mutilating a manatee found dead in Biscayne Bay.

On November 10th, officers of the National Park Service (NPS) found a dead manatee in the bay near Homestead, Florida. The manatee’s throat had been cut and its flippers and other parts cut off. However, a necropsy on Monday, November 13th, revealed that the manatee was dead before it was mutilated.

"As horrific as the photos are, we were partially relieved that the animal was likely dead before the mutilation,” said biologist Patrick Rose, Save the Manatee Club’s executive director. “It appears the manatee was already in a weakened condition and probably died of natural causes. Nevertheless, there are no words to describe how upsetting the subsequent mutilation was to us and to the many manatee supporters in Florida and around the world”

Even before this latest incident, Rose has been worried that increasing boat traffic, in conjunction with the continued degradation and loss of the manatee’s habitat, bodes ill for the species’ long-term survival. “Although we are greatly saddened each time a manatee is killed by a collision with a boat, the leading cause of manatee deaths, we know that most boaters care about manatees and would not intentionally try to kill them," said Rose. “With a total population of only about 3,000 manatees, every life is precious. We will continue to work closely with federal and state officials to bring the perpetrator(s) to justice.”

Since manatees are listed as endangered by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, if convicted, the perpetrator could face up to a year in prison and/or a $100,000 fine for violating the Endangered Species Act.

The National Park Service is asking anyone with information to call 305-230-1144, ext. 3067. Interested parties may also learn more about manatees and the hosts of risk this endangered species faces at the Manatee Info section on our web site or by calling the Club at 1-800-432-JOIN (5646).

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