Manatee Conservation Emergency

Tureygua is an orphan manatee calf rescued in Puerto Rico in August 2015. He is bottlefed 6 times a day and cared for by the staff of the the Puerto Rico Manatee Conservation Center (PRMCC). His immediate need is a water heater for his pool, especially during this winter months. 

The PRMCC through the non-governmental, non-profit organization Red Caribeña de Varamientos (Caribbean Stranding Network) runs a series conservation initiatives for endangered manatees in Puerto Rico. These include rescue, rehabilitation, veterinary care, population research, and community outreach. Never before has our island been as prepared as we are today to safeguard manatees from adverse, human-caused situations that harm their survival.

Thanks to the support of environmentally conscientious individuals, corporations, and foundations, we now have a state-of-the-art rehabilitation facility that houses three manatees: 9-year-old Guacara, 4-year-old Aramaná, and 2-year-old Yuisa. The latter two are scheduled for release back to the wild early next year, an important genetic contribution to the Puerto Rico manatee population of two healthy individuals.

Every year we are visited by thousands of school children and university students, who observed first hand the conservation work of the Center, after providing them with a short lecture and tour of our research laboratory and rehabilitation area. We also reach the community through social media sites, such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Wikipedia.

This past year, we also provided rescue assistance and critical care to other wild manatees in Puerto Rico and Turks and Caicos Islands.

Running the rehabilitation facility involves long hours and the participation of numerous volunteers. Everyday, we begin at 6:00 am, unless there are new manatees in need of critical care, in which case it becomes a 24/7 scenario. Providing veterinary care and the proper nutrition for manatees becomes a costly endeavor. While we obtain in-kind donations for lettuce, other vegetables, and utilities, running our facility costs us up to $10,000 every month.

As you are aware, the economic and financial situation of our island has affected fundraising for all non-profit organizations. Ours is no different. The Red Caribeña de Varamientos (Caribbean Stranding Network) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that operates thanks to individual donations, corporate social-responsibility sponsorship and limited Puerto Rico Legislature funds.

We have accomplished so much during the past years, and this is mainly due to the support of environmentally committed individuals, corporations and foundations. We invite you to join us by becoming a supporter of manatee conservation. If you could help us with any funding, whatever amount, we would be in a better position to continue providing important research and conservation initiatives for manatee protection in our island.

We hope that you can find a way to help manatees during these difficult economic times.

See more at manatipr.org

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