DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – A female manatee named Lusia was released near Halifax Harbor Marina on Thursday after her rehabilitation at Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens Manatee Critical Care Center.
The manatee was rescued on Aug. 22, 2020, with injuries that indicated a boat strike. After some care from the critical care team and some rest, staff was ready to send her home.
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The manatee’s final weight was 713 pounds upon load-in on Thursday.
“She had a little wound on her back. She also had a couple of fractures of her ribs, and the reason that they picked her up is because she had some air in her thorax that made her buoyant on one side,” Allison Peterson, a veterinarian at the Jacksonville Zoo, said.
Safe travels, Lusia!