A manatee named Shantay who was under rehabilitation at Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park drowned earlier this year, reports indicate. On January 23, park employees, while intending to provide necessary care, left the 1,000-pound female manatee unattended in a medical pool which they were in the process of draining. According to a FOX 13 News report, the pool drained faster than expected, leaving Shantay entrapped and leading to her death by drowning.
The incident was documented in a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) inspection report dated March 5 that was cited in multiple reports. Employees periodically checked on Shantay as the pool drained but found her dead during one of these checks. The USDA report stated, Failure to implement proper handling procedures can result to unintentionally cause injury or death of the animal. It mandates that the handling of all animals must be done "as expeditiously and carefully as possible in a manner that does not cause trauma, overheating, excessive cooling, behavioral stress, physical harm, or unnecessary discomfort," as per WFLA.
A subsequent examination conducted by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission listed the probable cause of death as "human related," according to an article from the Gazette Extra. Shantay had been taken into care back in April 2021 after a suspected boat strike and moved to Homosassa Springs State Park in June 2022. Patrick Rose, the executive director of the Save the Manatee Club, explained the manatee's history of rescue and relocation in an interview.
A spokesperson stated that as a part of these efforts, "the manatees under care were relocated to a secure spring location and have not been housed in that pool until necessary repairs were completed." Additionally, the USDA report highlighted other concerns regarding the park's facilities, including a rusted door in a bobcat enclosure and the past incident of a sandhill crane named Ruby, who was killed while residing in an open-top enclosure, as detailed by WFLA.
