srqist
UNDERWATER THERAPY
Wild manatees rehabilitate back to health at the bishop museum. Madison Mursch FRIENDLY GIANTS OF THE BISHOP MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND NATURE—precious and plump Iclyn and Janus—slowly loll about in their lushly
green cypress spring habitat—befriending freshwater turtles with a touch of a whisker and through-the-glass visitors with a wave of a flipper. The wilder the better when it comes to these marine mammals. The Bishop is spearheading a renovated initiative to rehabilitate manatees suffering in the waters of Sarasota. Both Iclyn and Janus were rescued by ZooTampa. Iclyn was found in Whitaker Bayou this January with cold stress syndrome—a condition similar to human frostbite. Janus was found unhealthily small at 295 pounds, compared to more than 420 pounds today, trapped in the Phillippi Creek canal after being separated from her mother. After the rescue and critical care of these cold-intolerant mammals, Iclyn and Janus were transferred to The Bishop for second-stage rehabilitation. Janus and Iclyn are deserving of a little R&R after cold shock and confinement, and The Bishop offers just that, with a wildlife transitional habitat for animals to gain weight and exposure to natural diet and feeding strategies. The museum teaches the manatees to interact with rough sea surfaces, changes in depth, wild plants and other marine animal species. “Having more animals in the habitat makes manatees more comfortable,” says Animal Care Director Virginia Edmonds . “Janus will swim over and touch the turtles with her mouth, just to check them out. Manatees are sensory with their whiskers, so this interaction between species is beneficial.” Visitors will find Iclyn and Janus swimming among two freshwater turtle companions, who further immerse them in a truly stimulating spring setting. SRQ
PHOTOGRAPHY BY WES ROBERTS.
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