Manatees are kept in zoos and aquariums for conservation, rehabilitation, and education. Their complex needs for warm water, adequate nutrition, and social contact pose significant husbandry challenges.
Manatees in zoological settings have welfare needs centered on thermal regulation, nutritional adequacy, water quality, and social opportunity. Being strictly warm-water animals, cold stress is a leading welfare concern — even brief temperature drops cause immune suppression and pneumonia risk. Tanks must be large enough for manatees to swim freely; undersized environments cause repetitive stereotypic circling. Skin health is a sensitive indicator of water quality and nutrition. The best zoological programs operate as genuine rehabilitation facilities returning animals to the wild, with clear welfare assessments and enrichment programs. Permanent captive display of manatees requires exceptionally high standards given their size and behavioral complexity.