Reprinted here (with permission) from Manatee News, the semi-annual manatee newsletter produced by:
Coastal Zone Management Authority & Institute
#8 St. Mark Street
P.O. Box 1884
Belize City, Belize, C.A.
Phone: 501-2-35739
Fax: 501-2-35738
Email: [email protected]
Editor: Nicole Auil
Assistant Editor: Melissa Bevans

Early Monday morning, April 26, 1999, a report was made by Angela Chan to the Belize Audubon Society that a manatee was dying in a canal adjacent to her home at Vista del Mar. Upon receiving the report, three members of the Belize Marine Mammal Stranding Network (BMMSN) investigated the scene. Miss Chan and her family did not see another manatee in the area during the weekend and none was seen during the investigation, therefore, it was presumed orphaned and rescue necessary.

The manatee was put into a dinghy to allow easy transport and examination. We found the calf to be a male measuring 129-cm-long; it was about a month old. At about 2:47 p.m., he was taken out of the canal and moved to a concrete tank filled with rainwater at the Fisheries Department / Taiwanese Shrimp Hatchery. Each day after, the Belize Fire Department filled a new tank and the manatee was place in a fresh system. Members of the Network were able to monitor the manatee we named "Hercules" for 24-hours a day for seven days with the help of various volunteers. Dr. Bronwen Eastwood, BMMSN vet, (no relation to Clint) stayed at the site with the manatee during his stay there.

During Hercules' temporary stay at the hatchery, clinical examinations were performed. His blood results were normal and he weighed 79 lbs on the second day of rehabilitation. The manatee was bottle-fed a soy formula every three hours. Pedialyte was used to help rehydrate the calf as he very well could have gone without water for many days before the rescue.

While in the water, Hercules floated primarily on his stomach, but showed signs of abnormal buoyancy by floating on either lateral region. [Later, at Xcaret ecological park in Mexico, this buoyancy led to suspicions that Hercules was ill and after examination, he was diagnosed with infectious enterocolitis, or colic, which can be fatal for a manatee calf.] He preferred to float near the walls of the tank than the center. This could have been a sign of its desire have something touch him, as he would be near to his mother had he not been separated from her for reasons unknown. A calf can be separated from its mother for a number of reasons such as losing its mother in a fatal incident; separation due to the curious nature of manatees; separation by interference of a group of somewhat aggressive males; or possibly abandonment by its mother as she detected her calf was not "fit" enough to survive.

A week after we discovered and retrieved Hercules, he was taken to a facility capable of caring for him on a more long-term basis as Belize does not have this capacity. Thus, an agreement was made between Xcaret and the Coastal Zone Management Authority & Institute that the former party would take Hercules for rehabilitation purposes for 18 months. On May 3, the veterinarian Dr. Roberto Sanchez from the Via Delphi programme at Xcaret, Mexico came with his crew to retrieve Hercules. A party from Belize escorted the calf with his new caretakers to Xcaret, where they have 24-hour care for him in an isolated pool.

The BMMSN was successful in keeping Hercules alive and well before his transfer to Xcaret. This achievement was only made possible with the assistance of the public, including SJC and UCB students, and donations made by numerous organizations. We would like to take this opportunity to thank these personas and organizations, including the Belize Fisheries Department / Taiwanese Shrimp Hatchery; the Belize Fire Department; Budget Rent A Car; Drugs Wholesale; Benny's Homecenter; Bowen and Bowen; Save-U Supermarket, Brodies, Peppers Pizza, RB Texaco, and ESSO 1-Stop. Thanks also to all volunteers who took the time out to help the Network in caring for Hercules.

On the first weekend of July, Nicole Auil, Robert "Bob" Bonde (manatee expert from the Sirenia Project in Florida - manatee "Bob's" namesake), Dr. Alonso Aquirre (WPTI wildlife vet), Dr. Bronwen, and Endhir Sosa (BMMSN members), went to visit Hercules at Xcaret. Upon arrival, we were greeted by Dr. Sanchez and given a presentation on Hercules' health. Hercules went through two bouts of enterocolitis and given two series of treatments. He was not gaining weight for the first six weeks (only 2kg). He is now doing fine and is gaining 2kg per day. When Hercules is in more stable condition, they will move him to a larger, more natural system. Thanks Via Delphi!

Having agreed to join the Manatee Stranding Network, set up by Coastal Zone Management, I thought the chance of being called upon was remote. I was wrong.

After the rush to get to Belize City, the first time l saw Hercules, all that was visible was a dark grey elephant-like skin with sparse hairs floating at the surface of the holding tank. After a moment two nostrils appeared and Hercules, the three week-old Manatee, raised his tiny head for a breath. As he took his, I lost mine. Here was the opportunity to help one of the most endangered marine creatures on the planet.

Hercules had been abandoned by his mother near Belize City and rescued by Coastal Zone Management on April 26th. Our job was to feed him and ensure his health for seven days, prior to his departure to Mexico, where they have a rehabilitation facility for such creatures.

His daily routine included three hour-long feedings of soy milk powder, water and dextrose. We also had to have someone with him every minute so that we could count his breaths to ensure he was not under stress and all was normal. This vigil was carried out by willing volunteers (soon to be weary volunteers) who did a sterling job counting every single breath 24 hours a day for seven days.

Each day the Fire Department would arrive to pump fresh lagoon water into adjoining tanks so that we could move him from tank to tank to prevent any infection from stale water. The three hour feeding times were an energetic experience. First, we would enter the water after showering to remove all chemicals, such as antiperspirant, and then gently restrain him with a sling held by two people in wetsuits. We then carefully lifted this 85 pound baby out of the water and held him in a bear hug from behind. One would then sit on a upside down bucket whilst the other person bottle fed him. At times, whilst l was holding him, he would drop off to sleep half way through his bottle, just like a human baby, and would need a gentle nudge to remind him to suck. To start, he would suck on my fingers and get the idea before he started on the bottle. Throughout this drama, a strict code was enforced which was total silence, absolute cleanliness and a hospital-like atmosphere. Despite temptation, no talking or calling to him was allowed. It is important in such situations that the artificially raised calf (a wild animal that must be returned) not be allowed to become attached or influenced by human behaviour and sounds.

The most remarkable thing about Manatees are their lips, which are covered with tactile hairs covering extremely prehensile lips which move like two fingers in a glove. The lips felt and manipulated the bottle teat with perfect precision, directing it into his mouth for each feed. On a few occasions, we took him from the water and placed him on a foam mattress and took samples of blood and faeces for analysis. To our great relief, these were all normal. We had a fit and healthy baby Manatee on our hands - a rare and totally incredible experience.

On the seventh day, our sandfly and mosquito-bitten team prepared Hercules for his long journey. He was transported in a padded sling in the back of an air conditioned truck. After eight exhausting hours, Hercules arrived at Xcaret for his extended vacation, which will be for some two years. He will have to be bottle fed for this entire time. The good news is that he will be living with another Manatee calf already there recovering from severe machete wounds caused by cruel and gutless hunters. They were very pleased to see each other having both lost their parents.

In two years time, when Hercules is an adult male, he will be returned to Belize and released back into the wild. Thank goodness that Belize has full legal protection of these incredible animals, although the latest official count stated that there were only 400 manatees left in Belize. In evolutionary terms, this number is a blink of the eye - and if we don't all do our best to protect them, and their habitat, there will only be photographs left to show our children. I was honored to be asked to assist Coastal Zone Management in the rehabilitation of Hercules, and in terms of strandings, hope it is a long time before we are called upon again.

On Sunday July 4th, I joined the first official visit to Xcaret to check on Belize's biggest baby, Hercules the Manatee. Accompanied by Nicole Auil, Bob Bonde, Allonso Alessi and Endhir Sosa we drove the six-hour journey to visit the magnificent creature that had consumed our lives for ten days, back in April, following his stranding in the Belize River. After a short presentation by Roberto Sanchez we got to see Hercules in his new home. A brief hush settled over us as we first saw him - no matter how seasoned and experienced one might become, it is difficult not to be affected by the sight of one of the most endangered mammals in the world and the sobering thought that none of us might get the opportunity to show our grandchildren such a creature in the wild.

A look around the faces of our party quickly demonstrated the positive side of this dilemma - the Coastal Zone Management group, and many others, are absolutely dedicated to the saving of animals such as Hercules - there could be a bright future.

Hercules is doing very well and appears to be thriving in his new environment. Roberto informed us of two cases of enterocolitis (diarrhoea) shortly after his arrival, but after a treatment with antibiotic things rapidly returned to normal. Causal factors include, most certainly, the eight hour journey he undertook, along with the handling, new food and environment, so it was to be expected in many ways. For the most part, Hercules is well and putting on weight under the very good care of Roberto and his team. They are hoping to introduce another manatee to Hercules, which will help ease his confinement and encourage his eventual release into the wild.

I have to declare a certain crisis of conscience upon learning that Hercules will be placed on public display. Although he will have a place to hide and naturally moving water in his new home, there will be the inevitable noise, glass tapping and commotion that goes with the paying public parading past such a rare and beautiful creature. Stress can have a very negative affect on the physiological well being of an immature manatee.

After weighing all sides of the argument, I cannot ignore some of the benefits, albeit reluctantly. It is only by inspiring children with the magic of the actual animal that we will breed the next generation of conservationists. It is only by using him to attract them to this place, that educators can inform and motivate children to care and take notice.

Then there is the financial area. Belize cannot at this time provide for Hercules. Xcaret can, for the sole reason that they are a thriving marine park attracting millions of dollars in revenue. Might there be a case for the study of a park here in Belize, proudly demonstrating the kaleidoscope of wildlife we have to offer - and at the same time, ensuring that a good proportion of the revenue go to the conservation and care of animals such as Hercules. We may then see our neighbouring Central American countries, first bring their strandings to Belize for professional care and, in the long term, start their own parks upon realization of what vast natural resources we all have in this beautiful part of the world.

The wildlife population has to be managed with care. Hercules is being managed with care and if one can only ensure the right balance between conservation and attraction, we will all have the joy of seeing Hercules back home in Belize. Bob Bonde has implanted a microchip under the right shoulder of Hercules so that we can always identify him in the future. We have an opportunity for possibly the first, lifetime study of a manatee. How wonderful to be able to track Hercules every six months, take photographs and video, and to study his territorial pattern, mating cycle and feeding rituals - for the rest of his life.

We owe great thanks to Xcaret for their time during our visit and for their continued care of Hercules.