Manatee in the Mississippi River

[LivelyBaits]

St Petersburg Times
Manatee That Made It To Tenn. No Easy Catch
By Wire services
Published October 27, 2006


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A manatee that took an unheard-of swim 700 miles up the Mississippi River eluded rescuers Thursday. The animal, about 8 feet long and 1,000 pounds, has been hanging around since at least Sunday in a 3-mile channel along the downtown riverfront. Rescuers, including marine biologists and Coast Guardsmen, began searching Thursday. The manatee was last seen Wednesday. "It's never been recorded before this far up the Mississippi," said Pedro Ramos, a team leader from SeaWorld of Orlando. Ramos said his team would search the 60-degree water at least through today, using boats and a helicopter. It hoped to net the manatee, load it on a truck, keep it wet with foam and take it to SeaWorld for rehabilitation before releasing it on the Florida coast.

[tbray]

This reminds me of everytime i see someone helping a poor turtle or bug or whatever from "impending doom" by picking it up and moving it to some "desired location".

I always chuckle, because to me...these animals had a plan. Clearly they felt that they belonged somewhere other than where we felt they belong. If they die along the way, maybe it was for some higher purpose that we "intelligent" folks couldnt understand.

Research is one thing, changing the course of the inevitable is another.

God i am ranting alot these days

[pag_yaker]

A very QUICK study should be done, showing the total amount of taxpayer dollars that would be spent relocating this thing. Then, get that money and buy the troops something they can use ... let the sea cow work it all out on it's own. Manatee gumbo .... it's a thought ...

[silentrunning]

These animals would probably be extinct if Florida Power and Light hadn't "adopted" them and promoted their well being as a way to cover up their power plants' thermal polution of the waters here in Florida.

[TerryW]

tbray - you're starting to pizzmeoff. I am one of those people that stop along the road to save a turtle from getting smooshed. Sometimes I take them to the side of the road they were heading toward and sometimes I bring them home...

Yes, let's bring that manatee back to FLA so he can knock over a few more kayakers.

[tbray]

i am just glad there are people like you still around Terry- personally i have lost the ability (or will) to save it.

It is what it is-

not good / not bad

it just is.

Good luck with that T......

[BearsFan]

I heard that freshwater manatee tastes even better than saltwater. Probably why there was such a rush to capture it and fly it away. I mean, who could really track a helicopter flying that far. Freshwater Manatee : coming to a black market near you. fresh, never frozen

[pag_yaker]

Manatee ... it's what's for dinner ...

Anyone have any recipes for bacon wrapped dolphin kabobs ?

[DayFisher]

I can't remember how many turtles I've plucked from roadways.
I've even helped a handful of seabirds from their monofilament entanglements.
Hell, once I saved a carsurfing lizard along its way, ask Mauso1.
But dragging the depths for a seacow that obviously swam where it is, and where it is ain't so bad, seems a bit overboard.
Retrofitting an eTrex with flipper operable buttons sounds more like the right idea to me.
I think the B-52's said it best with,
"Roam where you want to happy lil manatee, roam around the world!!"
KH

[TroutTracker]

The manatee is probably trying to get away from Florida's over crowded waterways.

[tbray]

i think the appropriate statement to helping out wildlife should be:

"Do what you can, within reason"

[forced2work]

I think just proves that they should be off the endagered species list, I mean they now live in tenn. Then we should start a special purchase tag to fish for them....where is my 12wt. and head of lettuce fly.......

Chris

[LivelyBaits]

Maybe he's protesting all the Manatee Zones down here.
And The Man has stepped in and ruined it for him.

Maybe it's a suicide attempt? Let me ask you scientists: Who are you to play God?

What if it had a mate with it? Now that other one has to be sitting there going "where'd she go?" They could have started a whole new strain of cold water resistant manatees.

When they're done getting it back, maybe they should relocate this school of mullet that I see the dolphin picking on too.

[BearsFan]

if everyone fed jacks that they caught to the dolphins then they wouldn't be picking on the mullet

[pag_yaker]

Do dolphins eat catfish ? If so, I may have a plan ...

[MrSpectaculous]

Terry i've saved some GIANT turtles from getting mooshed. I had an alligator snapping turtle I picked out of 49th street that prolly went 75lbs. I was wearing a suite and tie at the time and got lots of applause from the people that saw me wrestle with that thing. He was pretty hostile.

Sometimes even people need saving from themselves. It would not suprise me one buit if somebody had that manatee as pet till it got out of hand and released it.