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Reindeer the rescued manatee released into the wild from North Palm Beach park

NORTH PALM BEACH — Reindeer, a female manatee rescued in December, returned to the wild Tuesday after more than two months of being nursed back to health. 

Workers from the Miami Seaquarium and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission released the marine mammal common to Florida waters at about noon from the boat ramp at Anchorage Park in North Palm Beach.

Reindeer had been in rehabilitation at the seaquarium after being found severely underweight and stranded on her side in a body of shallow water, FWC marine biologist Amber Howell said in a video posted to the North Palm Beach Public Library’s Facebook page. 

At the time of Reindeer’s release, the animal’s weight had increased to about 1,400 pounds.

Reindeer is the sixth rescued manatee returned to the wild in North Palm Beach this year. Last month, FWC and the Miami Seaquarium released five others into local waters, the village said.

The rescue releases come amid what has been a particularly deadly year for manatees.

More sea cows deaths have been documented through the first two months of the year than were recorded during those same two months in 2019 and 2020 combined, according to a USA Today report released in February.

Boat kills, cold stress and starvation from sea grass losses have been some of the factors attributed to the increase, the report said. 

FWC records show that more than 400 manatee deaths has been recorded through March 5, the most recent occurring a watercraft collision at Lake Worth Creek in Jupiter. About 30 manatee deaths have occurred in Palm Beach County since January. 

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