For Immediate Release: July 25, 2006

Xena the manatee lost her tracking tag and researchers need to locate her to monitor her re-adaptation to the wild.  She was last seen at Uncle Henry’s near Boca Grande, but could be anywhere from Lemon Bay to Myakka River in Charlotte Harbor. (Photo by Monica Ross, Wildlife Trust.)

Researchers studying manatees in the state of Florida are asking for the public’s help in locating a rehabilitated manatee named Xena that was tagged and released in February. Part of the tracking equipment used to monitor Xena was recently recovered when she was in the Gasparilla Sound area near Boca Grande. Anyone who sees a manatee with a belt, located just above their tail, is asked to call the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) dispatch at 1-888-404-FWCC (3922).  Researchers monitor rehabilitated manatees for approximately one year after release to ensure the animals are healthy, eating well and have readapted to their natural environment. Xena is due for a check-up in August so veterinarians can assess her health and progress.

Xena was a calf when she was rescued with her mother at Port of the Isles on December 29, 2004. Her mother had received severe injuries from a boat strike and was taken to SeaWorld of Florida for treatment. Since a manatee calf cannot survive without its mother, Xena was also brought into captivity in hopes she could be released with her mom after recovery. Unfortunately, Xena’s mother did not recover from her injuries and thus Xena became an orphan. Xena remained in captivity until she was old enough to be released on February 15, 2006 at Warm Mineral Springs with two other rehabilitated manatees. The Manatee Rehabilitation Partnership (MRP), a cooperative effort of nonprofit, private, state and federal entities, equipped Xena with tracking gear to help researchers and veterinarians monitor her health and re-adaptation to the wild. Since Xena’s release, she has moved around quite a bit. She has used waterways from the Myakka River to Boca Grande. 

Anyone who sees a manatee with a belt is asked to call the FWC at 1-888-404-FWCC or #FWC on a cell phone. (Photo by Monica Ross, Wildlife Trust.)

Unfortunately on Sunday July 16, Xena’s radio-transmitter tag was recovered in the Boca Grande area, but researchers are not giving up hope of relocating her.  The tracking device normally consists of three components: a belt, tether, and radio-transmitter tag. The belt is placed around the animal’s peduncle, the narrow area just above the tail. It is equipped to fall off after a designated time period.  The tether is attached to the belt and is designed to break free of the animal if needed, such as in the case of entanglement. Finally, the radio-transmitter tag is attached to the tether and floats just above the surface of the water line. Without the radio-transmitter, tracking Xena is much more difficult but the belt can easily be seen when she surfaces for air. Based on her movement patterns, researchers anticipate that Xena is in the Gasparilla Sound – Boca Grande area, but there is a chance she could have moved north into Lemon Bay or back to the Myakka River.   
 
Public sightings of Xena will provide researchers the opportunity to attach another tag and allow for future monitoring of her adaptation and health. If you see a belted manatee, please immediately:

• Call the FWC dispatch at 1-888-404-FWCC, “#FWC” on your cellular phone, or use VHF Channel 16 on your marine radio. 
• Give dispatchers the time, date and location where you saw the belted manatee. 
• Also let them know whether the animal was with any other animals.

The goal of the Manatee Rehabilitation Partnership (MRP) is to monitor the health and survival of rehabilitated and released manatees. Partnership members include Cincinnati Zoo, Columbus Zoo, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute, Lowry Park Zoo, Miami Seaquarium, Save the Manatee Club, SeaWorld of Florida, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Geological Survey- Sirenia Project, Disney’s EPCOT: The Living Seas, and Wildlife Trust. For more information about the MRP and manatees currently being tracked, visit the web site www.wildtracks.org or contact Monica Ross at 407-739-9260.

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NOTE TO EDITORS: Photos of a tagged manatee are available on request to Monica Ross at ross@wildlifetrust.org


Learn more about manatee research and manatee tracking by visiting the following web sites:

Florida Marine Research Institute

U.S. Geological Survey, Sirenia Project

Wildtracks.org


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