Manatees rescued from cold stress, boat strikes, and entanglement require specialized rehabilitation care, and a small number remain in long-term captivity as ambassadors for the species.
Manatee rehabilitation requires warm water, specialized aquatic herbivore diets (primarily lettuce and aquatic vegetation), and careful monitoring for secondary infections in wound cases. Manatees in long-term captivity benefit from social groupings and environmental complexity, though their welfare needs are modest compared to many captive species. The primary welfare concern for the species as a whole is the massive ongoing mortality from boat strikes, red tide events, and cold stress — threats that require conservation investment and policy change rather than individual animal management.