A science blog with Eric Berger

You know you can’t resist looking at a rescued baby manatee…


Late last week fishermen on the Amazon discovered a 2 month-old baby manatee helplessly lingering near its dead mother, apparently the victim of poachers.

They contacted a conservationist group named Friends of the Manatee, which, working with other organizations, nursed the animal back to health. Eventually it should be returned to the wild.

(Photo courtesy of Friends of the Manatee.)

Found via KQEDScience.

Categories: Animal kingdom
Eric Berger

11 Responses

  1. Gary Packwood says:

    Amazing and a good thing to do.

    I had no idea there was a ‘Friends of the Manatee’ organization.


  2. namsmog says:

    What is it with some humans??! Poaching, shooting, killing, maiming defenseless animals. Completely irrational, incomprehensible, inhuman!

    • Keith says:

      Take away the financial incentive (black market aphrodisiacs) and you take away the poachers. One kill can bring thousands of dollars to the “hunter”.

    • Bill in Houston says:

      What part of the manatee is supposed to be an aphrodisiac?

  3. David Henderson says:

    I read the award winners for Texas newspapers and they left off the name of the BEST sciguy in Texas–Eric Berger.

  4. JohnD says:

    Why am I irresistibly reminded of Edith Anne?

  5. George says:

    I had a bad day – I’m glad I saw that before I went to bed. Thanks!

  6. StanleyS says:

    Can the manatee survive back in the wild after having been raised without its natural parent? Some animals do not develop essential survival skills if raised by humans in captivity.

  7. rachel says:

    so sweet! why are all babies human or non human the cutest little things?!