Missing: Shorty the manatee
May 24, 2012 5:27 PM EDT
MARCO ISLAND, FL -
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is asking for the public's help in locating a manatee they've lost track of.
The manatee, nicknamed "Shorty," was a calf when she was rescued from the Faka Union Canal in Port of the Islands in February 2011, suffering from cold stress.
She was taken to Tampa's Lowry Park Zoon for rehab, and then tagged and released in Port of the Island in March 2012.
Shorty was tagged with a radio transmitter so scientists could track her progress.
But the transmitter, attached to a belt situated near her tail, stopped sending a signal on May 8th. It last reported her as being southeast of Goodland in Collier County.
Shorty has been spotted in the Marco Island area a few times since.
Based on her past behavior, researchers think Shorty is still in the Marco area. But they say it's possible she's moved north into Naples or further south into the western portion of the Everglades.
FWC is asking anyone who sees a manatee with a belt, which will likely be visible when the animal surfaces, to call their dispatch center at 1-888-404-FWCC (3922) on your cell, or use VHF Channel 16 on your marine radio.
Give dispatchers the time, date, and location where you saw the belted manatee, and let them know if you saw the manatee with any other animals.
NBC News
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