Red Cape – After 10:00 am this Tuesday, two manatees –a female and a male– returned to their natural habitat in the waters of the Puerto Rican Caribbean, with the task of helping to repopulate this endangered species.
Nanichi and Bajarí – the Taíno names with which these two mammals of more than 470 pounds were baptized – were rescued when they were barely days old in the waters of southern Puerto Rico.
For two years, both were preparing for their return to the sea in the Caribbean Manatee Conservation Center (CCMC), based at the Inter-American University of Puerto Rico in Bayamón.
“These two manatees are going to contribute to the repopulation of the species that is in danger of extinction here. A female can reproduce almost 20 manatees in her lifetime. “So Nanichi is extremely important, because she may be the one that holds the key to repopulating 20 more manatees in our population.”the doctor indicated Antonio Mignuccidirector of the CCMC.
Both animals have three marks that identify them – a microchip under the skin, a number on their back and a mark on their tail – which will allow CCMC staff to monitor their location. They also have a transmitter strapped to their tail – which connects with the French Argo satellite – which will allow them to track their location and the route they follow at sea for six months.
“It is very important that no one touches the transmitter or takes it away. This is our security of knowing where they are”Mignucci added.
The manatee population on the Puerto Rican coast is estimated at between 300 and 400 individuals, which makes it extremely vulnerable to extinction. This release is the first to be carried out in Bramadero Bay, where the Fisheries Research Laboratory of the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (DRNA), between Cabo Rojo and Mayagüez.
Therefore, the doctor Nilda Jimenezcoordinator of the DRNA Protected Species Program, urged boaters to exercise caution and caution, which includes that boats travel at a reduced speed in waters that are 10 feet or less deep.
“It is a great achievement. People see this one day, a release, but it is the result of a titanic effort by many volunteers, many agencies, many entities, from the moment they were rescued until they are released. We do it because there is a commitment to the species, because we know what the species means not only for conservation, but for the environment, its role in the marine system. We bet on that and we don’t give up”Jiménez assured.
Earrings to elnuevodia.com for the expansion of this story.