Shocking. And wrong.
830. That's the number of endangered Florida manatees that needlessly perished last year -- largely victims of deadly boat strikes and toxic "red tide" algal blooms. And now manatees are facing another disturbing menace.
Each winter, these gentle giants retire to Florida's warm natural springs -- but instead of rest and quiet, they find their habitat overrun with tourists who grab and harass them, blocking their access to the warm waters they need to survive. In some cases, calves have even been separated from their mothers.
Last year's devastating death toll makes it clear: manatees need your voice to help them survive.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has the power to ensure that the vulnerable manatees have a safe place to thrive by establishing new and bigger sanctuaries, and by setting safer guidelines for tourists. Let's send 50,000 messages to FWS Director Dan Ashe by May 31 to ensure he gets the job done!
Sign the petition: Tell the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to protect endangered manatees!
Manatees lack the warm layer of blubber necessary to survive in cold waters, so each winter they're forced to flee to warm springs like the Three Sisters in Florida's Crystal Springs Wild Refuge. But more and more, the refuge's entry canal resembles anything but a sanctuary, instead teeming with party barges, kayaks, and swimmers. It can be even worse when the end of winter rolls around -- just when the manatees should finally be in the clear, it's time for spring break in Florida.
Thanks to this atmosphere, outrageous abuse of the manatees is not uncommon -- some tourists even ride the manatees while tour guides take babies from their mothers and pass them around to tourists. Ivan Vicente, who works at the refuge, sums up the concerns of many: "We all agree that something must be done, because things are out of control."
Manatees are wonderful, beloved creatures -- but if last year's unprecedented death toll teaches us anything, it is that their survival is still fragile.
Send your message today and tell the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: Save our endangered manatees! Create bigger, safer refuges and new guidelines for tourists!