Elderly manatees Romeo and Juliet arrive at Tampa zoo for care
Two elderly and overweight manatees are acclimating to their new environments after getting around the clock care and medical intervention at the Tampa Zoo
Romeo and Juliet, who arrived at ZooTampa at Lowry Park last week, are both over 65 years old and veterinarians are concerned about cardiac health, which is difficult to evaluate in manatees due to their size, according to a news release.
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“It’s going to be a long road, but there is no facility better prepared to address the urgent health needs of these manatees while the Manatee Rescue & Rehabilitation Partnership identifies the best option for their long-term placements,” said Dr. Cynthia Stringfield, manatee critical care veterinarian and Senior Vice President of Animal Health, Conservation and Education.
While initial blood tests do not reveal any major abnormalities for either Romeo or Juliet, there are aspects of their overall health that are unknown.
“As two of the oldest living manatees, Romeo and Juliet deserve the best care possible as they live out their final years,” Stringfield added.
Stringfield said it is uncommon for manatees, often called “sea cows,” to be as heavy as Juliet who is 3,045 pounds.
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Both Romeo and Juliet have moved to the Zoo’s rehabilitation pools and are socializing with other manatees –an important aspect for a manatee in human care to thrive.
ZooTampa’s David A. Straz Manatee Critical Care Center is one of only three centers of its kind in the United States.
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For nearly three decades, ZooTampa has been a leader in the rescue, rehabilitation, and release of critically injured, sick and orphaned manatees.
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