MELBOURNE BEACH, Fla. — Melby, the manatee rescued from a Melbourne Beach storm drain, has returned to his home in the wild, says the SeaWorld Orlando Rescue Team.
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On February 9, city surveyors heard a “chirping” sound coming from a storm drain. After looking inside, they found a 410-pound manatee trapped inside the structure thus, in the words of SeaWorld Rescue, “sparking an intricate, hours-long rescue involving first responders, wildlife experts, and an entire community rallying around him.”
READ: Today is “National Manatee Day!”
The manatee, named “Melby” for the community of Melbourne Beach, spent two months at SeaWorld Orlando, receiving “around-the-clock” care from SeaWorld’s team, gaining over 100 pounds and “growing stronger every day.”
The culmination of Melby’s recovery came when Tuesday, SeaWorld Rescue released him into the waters of the Eau Gallie River. Over 100 spectators came to cheer Melby on as he slipped beneath the ripples and returned back home.
It’s a story that, from the beginning, has been all about community.
“Knowing that his original rescue was from the community—someone calling [the] FWC, informing [them] of [Melby’s] distress and getting that rescue—and having them show up again is a wonderful feeling," said SeaWorld Senior 1 Zoological Specialist Mallorie McCormack. “That’s one of my favorite parts about being able to go on these returns; it’s seeing the community have the same love for manatees that we do.”
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