
The manatee rescued from Palmetto two weeks ago has delivered a stillborn calf.Officials at Lowry Park Zoo's manatee hospital said the birth happened this week. They said they were unsure what role her injuries may have contributed to the stillbirth.The 900-pound female manatee was found floating with what appeared to be fresh propeller wounds, and was "excessively buoyant," which is often an indicator of a punctured lung.Rescuers captured her and took her to Lowry Park Zoo's Manatee Hospital.They suspected she was pregnant, but were unable to immediately find out for sure."We don't want to upset her and we don't want to make the injury any worse than it already is, so we try to stay hands off," explained Virginia Edmonds, assistant curator of Florida mammals at The Lowry Park Zoo after her rescue.Vets at Lowry Park Zoo say she is doing well post-delivery. She has been moved to another pool to be around other female manatees, and remains under close observation.
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