TAMPA, Fla. — After more than a year of rehabilitation at ZooTampa, a rescued manatee nicknamed Mudonna has been released back into Florida waters.
Mudonna’s ordeal began last November, when she was found stranded on a mud flat, weeks after Hurricanes Helene and Milton impacted the state. She was trapped in a small puddle, without access to open water or food, as temperatures plunged to near-freezing.
Multiple agencies, including the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the University of Florida Marine Animal Rescue team, worked together to transport her to the David A. Straz, Jr. Manatee Critical Care Center at ZooTampa.
At the time of her rescue, Mudonna weighed about 345 pounds. Over the past year, she gained more than 350 pounds and received ongoing health care and rehabilitation before her release in Crystal River on Dec. 18.
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