West Indian manatees deemed no longer ‘endangered’

ORLANDO, FL — The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says the West Indian manatee is now considered “threatened, not “endangered.”

The agency in a news release Thursday said that there still are challenges for the species’ long-term survival, even with the population going up in recent years.

Existing federal protections will remain in place, and the manatee will continue to be protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.

Some 6,620 manatees are estimated to live in Florida.