We’re another step closer to bringing manatee rehabilitation to our Zoo! Construction has begun on our behind-the-scenes manatee rehabilitation facility, which will be the first in Brevard County.  

We’ll be repurposing a 20-foot round tank, which should hold two subadult manatees at a time. We’ll also be bringing in two 40’ x 20’ oval tanks. Each tank can house two to four manatees throughout their rehabilitation journey with us. We hope to be fully functional and ready to help manatees by the end of this year. Our rehabilitation complex will include a walk-in cooler to store manatee diets, a storage area for extra gear, and the life support system that will keep our tanks running smoothly. We’ll also have a transport truck ready for any rescues and releases. There will be camera equipment at the facility so our animal care team can monitor patients at all times.   

We hope this facility will provide immediate care to manatees in our County as well as expand “bed space” for manatee rehabilitation in Florida. This facility is made possible by a grant from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).

Our Zoo has brought on two experts with years of experience helping this special species to oversee our manatee rescue and rehabilitation programs. Senior Conservation Manager Becca Downey worked as a Senior Animal Care Specialist on SeaWorld Orlando’s rescue team for 21 years, while Conservation Zoologist Kylie Lawson worked as a Biologist Scientist with Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission for three years. 

At these initial facilities, Becca, Kylie and our veterinary team will be able to care for stable, non-critical manatee patients in need of additional monitoring, weight gain or better weather conditions for release. The goal for all our manatee patients will be for eventual release back into their native range. 

Brevard County is at the epicenter of a historic wave of manatee deaths in recent years, largely due to environmental issues affecting seagrass in the Indian River Lagoon. Since 2011, this biodiverse estuary has experienced countless algal blooms that have resulted in a significant loss of seagrass habitat, a critical food source for lagoon-dwelling manatees. As a result, manatees in our area were dying of starvation at a record rate, leading FWC to declare an Unusual Mortality Event in March 2021. We’ve already started to do our part in bringing back seagrass to the lagoon thanks to our pilot planting projects and the construction of two seagrass nurseries.  

While there are plans to create a rehabilitation center at our future Aquarium and Conservation Center, we’ll begin our efforts by building three tanks in behind-the-scenes areas on Zoo grounds first. 

We can’t wait to build upon our past efforts to help this iconic Florida species and add manatee rehabilitation to our conservation efforts. We look forward to sharing more in the coming months! 

Special thanks to Flammio Financial Group, Stifel-Garvin Wealth Management Group, Artemis IT, and Jim and Darleen Barfield. Their generosity makes our work possible! 

Brevard Zoo is an independent, not-for-profit organization that receives no recurring government funding for our operating costs. Your generous support enables us to continue to serve our community and continue our vital animal wellness, education and conservation programs.