Florida Feeds Manatees

Normally feeding wild animals is out of bounds but Florida manatees, Trichechus manatus,  are starving to death due to man-made pollution, so wildlife officials have determined to begin feeding the marine mammals. They normally eat sea grasses and other marine plants. A pilot program at a Cape Canaveral power plant has the green light to begin this week. Manatees gather in the Indian Lagoon waters near the plant, warmed by power plant discharges. The officials plan to feed lettuce, cabbage and other greens delivered via a conveyor belt. The public has been warned not to undertake feeding the beloved mammals on their own, which is illegal.  

manatee swims in Stranahan River; AP

Manatees struggle to live successfully next to man. The slow-movving creatures are constantly struck by boats resulting in numerous fatalities every year. Pollution that prevents the growth of sea grasses and recent cold winters in Florida have also taken a significant toll. A record 1,017 have died as of November 17 according to the state. Their numbers have rebounded in recent years, but starvation threatens to reverse that trend. Saving the manatee is also saving the environment as toxic algae blooms that block sunlight also affect other sea creatures.  Artificial feeding is considered to be a temporary, emergency measure to save the mammals from a man-made problem.