Manatees are large, slow-moving herbivorous marine mammals that require specialised care in rehabilitation and zoo settings, with welfare challenges centred on temperature, diet, space, and social needs.
Manatees in rehabilitation and zoo settings have complex welfare needs. Their large body size requires substantial pool volumes; inadequate space restricts normal swimming and feeding behaviours. Thermal regulation is critical — water below 20°C causes cold stress syndrome, which causes immune suppression, skin ulceration, and severe debilitation. Diet must replicate the diversity and quantity of natural aquatic vegetation; nutritional deficiencies from monotonous diets cause health problems. Social isolation is a welfare concern for a species that, while largely solitary, benefits from conspecific contact in captivity. Manatees with boat-strike injuries require long-term pain management; propeller wounds can take months to heal and may cause chronic pain if bone or internal organs are affected.