December 30, 2021 – Although it remains illegal for individuals to feed manatees, a plan is in the works for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to carefully bring needed sustenance to these starving animals.
The lack of seagrass has been noted as the cause of the problem, with adult manatees needing 100-200 pounds of seagrass a day to survive. But officials are concerned that changing the feeding habits of these animals could have unintented consequeces, such as a delay in their fall migration, the altering of the behavior of naive calves, the stress of creating further competition for food, and the possible harm this unusual behavior may have on the creature’s habitat.
The winter months are the most dangerous but with the help of government services the hope is that the manatess will have a better chance of survival this year.
Source: USA Today