Chetumal, Q.R. — A tiny manatee that was rescued from a Chetumal lagoon in 2021 is being released. Pompeyo, the not-so-small-now manatee, has been taken care of by personnel from the Center for the Care and Rehabilitation of Aquatic Mammals (Carma).
Carma, which is located in the town of Laguna Guerrero, has been the manatee’s home since he was found without his mother in 2021. The baby was rescued from the Milagros Lagoon, named and nursed back to health.
Now however, Pompeyo the manatee has been checked out by two vets and deemed ready for release. Dr. Nataly Castelblanco, from the International Foundation for Nature and Sustainability (FINS) and the Autonomous University of Quintana Roo and Zootechnical Veterinarian, Roberto Sánchez Okrucky from Dolphin Discovery, have given him the green light.
When found, he was 100 centimeters in length and weighed 18.5 kilograms. Today, Pompeyo weighs 68 kilograms and measures 1.58 meters in length.
