Manatees frequently require rehabilitation from boat strikes and cold stress syndrome. Their welfare in rehabilitation centers and permanent care facilities reflects the challenges of protecting this vulnerable marine mammal.
Manatee welfare in rehabilitation centers requires meeting the needs of large, slow-moving, highly sensitive marine herbivores. Access to warm water is non-negotiable — cold stress is fatal. Nutritional management with appropriate quantities of aquatic vegetation or lettuce substitutes maintains health during recovery. Social housing is beneficial as manatees in the wild are loosely social and respond well to conspecific presence. Permanent resident manatees that cannot be released require enrichment that engages their natural foraging behavior. The chronic welfare challenge for wild manatees — boat strikes — requires policy solutions including mandatory slow zones in manatee habitat and enhanced enforcement.