Injured Manatee Calf Rescued from Belize River and Taken for Treatment

An injured manatee calf was rescued from the Belize River near the Haulover Bridge on Wednesday. Personnel from the Fisheries Department and the Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute (CMARI) teamed up to rescue the calf, now called Kevin. Program Coordinator for the CMARI, Jamal Galves said that authorities had received the report earlier in the week and had searched for days before eventually finding Kevin. He had been in the area for days, was badly sunburned, and unable to swim properly or dive due to injury. Galves says that Kevin was taken to the organization Wildtracks in Orange Walk for treatment and rehabilitation.

Galves says that the issue of boats speeding in the area near the Haulover Bridge is a recurring issue. Galvez says that over 20 manatees have been hit by boats this year.

According to National Geographic, there are fewer than twenty five hundred Antillean manatees left on earth