Why Manatees Are Endangered - Florida Manatee Facts Information


How Manatees
Became Endangered

 

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Why Manatees Are
An Endangered Species 


Sometimes a manatee's face can appear very sad, tired...almost as if the animal can foresee the fate that may await its species.

In the wild, manatees have no natural enemies, and not because of their impressive size. A fully-grown adult manatee may be as long as 12-14 feet and weigh over 2,000 pounds.

Despite its formidable appearance, the manatee is completely defenseless. It has no weapons with which to attack or retaliate. Its teeth are used for grazing on submerged grasses and floating plants.

It is unfortunate the manatee is not more aggressive. Then they could have fought back against some of the harassment that has been inflicted on them.

Because of their tremendous size and strange looks, some people have felt compelled to spear them with pitchforks, blast them with shotguns, attack them with axes, carve their initials in them or deliberately run them down with boats.

The loss of coastal habitat that once nourished rich seagrass beds is the main reason for the decline in manatees.

Boats and red tide may cause significant mortality, but it is the sheer loss of vital habitat and seagrasses that place the manatee at greatest risk.

More than 3,000 manatees are believed to live in Florida waters, up significantly from 10 years ago.

Florida Manatee Facts and Information

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Manatee Photo Gallery


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Manatees as Mermaids

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