A report came in to Wildtracks of a small calf on its own, hiding in the mangroves in front of Consejo, a small coastal village in northern Belize. Wildtracks and its partner the Sarteneja Alliance for Conservation and Development (SACD) are part of the Marine Mammal Stranding Network in Belize, tasked with responding to reports of potentially orphaned calves in the Corozal Bay Wildlife Sanctuary seascape.
With the help of residents in the area, the calf was caught and assessed - was it orphaned? Did it need to be rescued?
Reports and a photograph came in of a young manatee calf on its own in the mangroves in front of Consejo, a small coastal village in northern Belize. The manatee calf had been seen for three days in the area. This is not normal behaviour for a young manatee, and the pronounced ribs suggested that this calf had not been with its mother for a significant amount of time, and was losing weight.
(Photo: S. Fioole)
Paul Walker and members of the Wildtracks Team teamed up over two days with Joel Verde and Leomir Santoya of the Sarteneja Alliance for Conservation and Development (SACD) to assess the situation and make a decision as to whether the calf needed to be rescued.
With the help of local residents of Consejo Village, the calf was caught. A rapid assessment confirmed that the calf was a female, and that she was significantly underweight. She had lost much of the fat reserves around her chin and tail base - all signs that she was separated from her mother and hadn't fed for several days.
The manatee calf was loaded into the boat for transport to Wildtracks. Manatees can be out of water for short lengths of time, as long as they are supported on foam and kept wet. During the ride back to Sarteneja, we were able to see how skinny she was - and how dehydrated. Even during the ride back, she was started on rehydrant solution to replace some of her lost fluids.
Once in Sarteneja, she was loaded into the back of a truck and taken by road to the Manatee Rehabilitation Centre
Within the first few minutes in the water, she was already exploring Salene, the Manatee Team Leader, who stood quietly in the pool, offering social support if the calf wanted it.
We have found that all incoming manatees, whether orphaned calves or injured adults, will gravitate naturally towards people in the water. They have strong mother / calf bonds and need interaction if they are to do well. Orphaned calves, in particular, need the one-on-one care in the early days after intake if they are to not just survive, but also thrive. Without this, they tend to stagnate and stay in one place, losing their inquisitiveness and their will to live.
(Photo: V. Jacke)
Since her arrival, Sandy has been doing well. She is eager to drink, and has been gradually switched from rehydrant solution (she likes strawberry flavour!) to milk replacement formula.
To feed her, we catch her gently in a sling, providing support without having to hold her (actively restraining a calf in a feeding position can result in struggling, with calves refusing to feed). Supported in the water, she has been relaxed, and happy to take her rehydrant and milk formulas.
This currently takes a team of four people at each feed, every three hours, day and night - but if this makes the feeds stress free and results in a recovering manatee calf, then this is what is needed.
Over time, the sling will be lowered in the water so that she is supporting her own weight, and it will take only one person to feed her...but we go step by step, and don't rush her faster than she is willing to go for any change in her care.
(Photo: V. Jacke)
Working with Sandy has provided an opportunity for the Wildtracks Team to get to know this little bundle of manatee-ness...
"Sandy really enjoys contact. Whenever she's following us (her carers) - or not - on walks around the pool when we try to ensure she remains active, she'll find the nearest pair of legs or arms to lean against, hiding her head in a cosy dark spot... preferably an arm pit. Since Sandy first came in, she's grown to love her food. The milk goes down well at each feed, but her real favourite is a healthy portion of seagrass. What seagrass she doesn't eat in the her first attack on the seagrass frame is swiftly hoovered up from the surface off the water."
"It's hardly a secret that just one hour in the pool with her melts every carers heart!"
The Wildtracks Manatee Team - Chris, Magnus and Charlotte
THANK YOU...
...for helping us to Make the Difference - not just for Sandy, but for this endangered species in Belize
Thank You for being an important part of the Wildlife Team!
Join us on our journey to keep the Wild in Wildlife!
A huge thank you to our Wildtracks Team (Wildtracks Belize, Wildtracks USA, Wildtracks volunteers and supporters), Save the Manatee Club, the Belize Forest Department and grant partners, for your support.
Contact Us: office@wildtracksbelize.org
Credits:
Wildtracks, Vasco Jacke