I
apologize for not getting this information out sooner.
Here is what has been going on with PGB over the past month and it is
in report form for
FWC
’s rescue database.
PGB
spent five days in
Buttonwood
Canal
right after her recapture on
10/24/06
. She then proceeded to move back and forth
between
Coot
Bay
and
Buttonwood
Canal
, spending approximately 2-3 days in each
location. She was seen with other animals in
Coot
Bay
feeding and socializing. From 11/16 to
11/21, PGB made quick moves south to Big Sable Creek and then turned north
and traveled up to the mouth of the
Broad River
before returning to
Buttonwood
Canal
. This was a rapid movement so we do not
anticipate much time was focused on feeding during this trip.
PGB
was located in
Buttonwood
Canal
’s boat basin on
11/21/06
and pretty much remained in the basin except for a quick travel halfway out
of the canal then back to the basin on
11/28/06
. After seven days, we began to
have concerns about this abnormal, stagnant behavior and spent two days
observing her. E.
Walker (WT) & J. Reid (USGS) got a good look at her from above water on
11/28/06
and they could not see any obvious trauma or
cold stress signs (Whitewater Bay had dropped to 22; Buttonwood Canal 25).
She was primarily resting during one day's three hour observation and
resting and milling the next day's three hour observation.
PGB
was still in
Buttonwood
Canal
on
12/05/06
and had not left the basin at all over the past
week. The only food source in the area was mangroves and park staff
confirmed they had not seen her feed on anything in the past 14 days and
primarily noted her in the same location for the past week. J. Reid
confirmed no other food source was available in the immediate area and he
also noted that some manatees will frequent this canal but as an aggregation
site when it gets colder (and not for this long of duration).
PGB
was observed by WT staff for four hours on
12/05/06
in
Buttonwood
Canal
boat basin in 7ft of water.
She appeared responsive and moved slightly when canoes got within
four-ten feet of her. She also moved when a crocodile bumped her and
her tag. During the first two hours of observation, she appeared to be
resting from time to time for seven minute intervals. Resting was
usually terminated when "stomach crunching" was observed.
She would crunch, move slightly and then try to settle down again. No
pattern in respiration could be determined...sometimes two breaths, four
breaths or even eight breaths during ten minute windows.
This is very unusual for field observations; we can usually determine a
pattern in respiration rate. "Crunching" was observed four
times, gas observed once and "chuffing" (forcefully blowing out
nostrils) was observed twice. The other odd thing that was observed
was that she appeared to have to swim to the surface (not just rise up
for air) and then she appeared to sink fairly quickly after a
respiration. These can be normal
behaviors for manatees but they are not what we have normally seen with her.
Water clarity only allowed viewing of her body when she was within three
feet from the surface. She was not resting on the bottom or the top
but appeared to be somewhere in the middle of the water column based on tag
float level. She also was doing something I have never seen before
(and probably cannot describe appropriately without further visual
cues)...her tag would go up and down multiple times from minute to minute
while she stayed in one location. This was observed on/off during
the four hour observation. It was almost as if her back half was
rising up or she was sinking and swimming up. With the depth, if she
was reaching the bottom her tag should have been completely submerged but it
did not stay under for more than 30 seconds at a time. Also to be
noted, twenty manatee carcasses were verified along the northern
portion of the
Everglades
during PGB’s stagnate state.
Suspected cause for the deaths are red tide (brevetoxin
detected in four carcasses, six pending results).
Dr.
D. Murphy (attending Vet from Lowry Park Zoo) and N. Adimey (USFWS) were notified
of the abnormal behaviors and concerns around 1600 on
12/05/06
and a request was made to conduct a health
assessment ASAP. Dr. Murphy and
M. Ross (WT) discussed PGB’s situation at 1530 on
12/6/06
and Dr. Murphy concurred it would be best to
conduct a health assessment sooner than later. He
also suggested that if she was not returned to captivity upon the health
assessment, relocating her back to Warm Mineral Spring where she had a
warmer wintering site, ample food and the ability for us to monitor her more
closely would be advantageous based on our current behavior concerns.
M.Ross notified N. Adimey of the request and all parties agreed this
could be an option if deemed necessary.
C.
Hudak
FWC
-SE field station was contacted and confirmed she
could bring her boat and crew to Flamingo on
12/7/06
with a starting time of
1100
to capture PGB. M.Ross
obtained a weighing arch (and accessories) from SeaWorld of Florida since
the
FWC
-SE field station boat did not have the ability
to weigh an animal. Dr. Murphy,
FWC
-SW field station, USGS and NPS were all notified
that we would be catching PGB the following day to perform a health
assessment and the potential she might be brought back into captivity or
relocated to Warm Mineral Spring.
PGB
was captured on the second attempt alone in
Buttonwood
Canal
’s boat basin on
12/7/06
. Blood, morphometrics, ultrasound, weight
and fecal were obtained. Dr.
Murphy gave PGB a body score of 3. She
had lost 265lbs since her release on
2/15/06
but Dr. Murphy has expressed the release weight may be inaccurate.
Her belly was flat but no folds were apparent.
Fecal was greenish-black and mud-like with little fibrous material
noted. Fecal sample was sent to
C. Beck (USGS) for content analysis and another fecal sample will be
submitted to
FWC
for red-tide analysis. Two
scars were noted but undetermined if new series since
10/24/06
capture and approximately two inches of white was apparent around the dorsal
outer portion of her tail (possible beginning signs of cold stress).
Dr. Murphy reported on
12/11/06
that the blood work was “essentially normal for a wild
Everglades
female in winter; wbc is elevated somewhat and chemistries suggest mild
winter stress but otherwise the values look very much like her body
condition”.
Date
Weight
Straight Body Length
02/15/06
910 lbs
265 cm
10/24/06
na
272 cm
12/07/06
645 lbs
268 cm
Ultrasound
readings showed slight decreases since capture on
10/24/06
. Umbilicus reading was within
normal parameters but peduncle and anus readings were below normal.
All girth measurements were extremely close to the readings obtained
during her last health assessment but all values were below normal.
The
decision was made on site to relocate PGB to Warm Mineral Spring instead of
bringing her into captivity or putting her back into
Buttonwood
Canal
. All USGS tracking gear was
removed and WT gear was fitted. PGB
was transported by Lowry Park Zoo in a van to Warm Mineral Spring and
released in the dark at approximately 1900.
PGB
was in a small basin just south of Warm Mineral Spring the morning after her
re-release and was observed socializing with eight animals.
She moved south into
Big
Slough
Canal
on
12/9/06
and has moved back and forth in this canal for the past four days.
12/17/06:
PGB finally is beginning to show signs of
going out to feeding areas in the Myakka River. We have not observed her
consuming any vegetation to date. Just a little nibbling on
vegetation floating on the surface in Big Slough on 11/13/06,
vegetation you would not normally see manatees feeding on.
2/25/07:
Moved from the Peace River area to Warm Mineral
Spring when the cold hit during the first week of February. She
has made minimal movement out of the spring since 2/10.
3/1/07:
PGB FINALLY moved out of Salt Creek today
3/1/07 after spending 21 days up near Warm Mineral Spring. She
was observed feeding today with another manatee. We are going to
still attempt to get an underwater view of her belly this week since
her above water body condition indicated some recent weight loss.
3/22/07:
PGB
was tracked up Salt Creek in one of the basins just south of Warm Mineral
Spring. She appeared to be
with two other animals but shortly after the capture crew arrived she
traveled up to the release site near Warm Mineral Spring.
Her respiration rate was noted later to be high with 2-3 breaths
ever minute during a thirty minute observation period.
A net was deployed across the creek down from her location to catch
her when she decided to travel out. WT
staff eventually entered the water near PGB which encourage her to travel
down the creek.
PGB
was captured on the first attempt on
3/22/07
. She
was placed into the stretcher in the water and walked down the creek with
minimal resistant to a spot where she could be lifted out onto the bank.
Blood, morphometrics and ultrasound were obtained on site.
Weight was obtained later at the facility.
Dr. Murphy gave PGB a body score of 2+.
Her belly was very loose and fecal was greenish-black and mud-like
with little fibrous material noted. One
new superficial scar was noted since her last capture.
It was a thin line running ¾ of her length along her right side.
Dr. Murphy noted her respiration rate was one breath every minute
and an audible “gurgle” could be detected.
Her heart rate of 80 was noted to be elevated.
Date
Weight
Straight Body Length
02/15/06
910 lbs
265 cm
10/24/06
na
272 cm
12/07/06
645 lbs
268 cm
03/22/76
565 lbs
252 cm ?
Ultrasound
readings showed a decrease in backfat at the umbilicus.
No measurements could be obtained for the anus and peduncle
locations because the machine did not pick up any density interface
changes. All girth
measurements were extremely close to the readings obtained during her last
health assessment but all values were below normal.
The
decision was made on site by Dr. Murphy to return PGB to captivity for
care based on her current respiratory condition and borderline behavior
and body condition. PGB was
transported in
FWC
transport truck to LPZ for future care.
A
big thanks to
FWC
, LPZ and WT for all your efforts regarding the welfare of PGB!!!
5/07/07 Report from Lowry Park Zoo:
On
4/5/07
, Dave Murphy reported PGB
to be doing well after a
couple of days of settling back in. The breathing noise was not
obvious after transport. The blood work suggested she was
nutritionally stressed and probably some low grade chronic infection
(antigenic stimulation). She has completed a course of antibiotics
and needs to be de-wormed; otherwise she is eating and acting well.
6/14/07:
On
May 29,
PGB was re-released at the North Port Coast Guard Flotilla station 92 boat
ramp at 1100am. She was fitted with a belt, tag and tether.
All morphometrics, blood, and ultrasound were
obtained by Lowry Park Zoo prior to release.
PGB
milled for some time around the boat launch area. Later in the day
she was observed milling in the Big Slough heading to the main part of the
Myakka
River
.
Within
24 hours of her release, PGB went to Warm Mineral Springs. Later
that day she returned to the river. She seemed to have her bearings.
As
of June 5,
PGB's tag was recovered in a canal under a
boathouse in Boca Grande. No visible signs of damage on the tag.
Immediately began sonic tracking for her w/ a couple of hours in
the Boca area. Wednesday, June 6,
Elizabeth
Walker
focused on the hot spots in the Boca area and the canal system.
Thursday she expanded the area to the grass flats, Gasparilla
Marina, southern
Lemon
Bay
,
Devilfish Key and the ICW area. On Friday,
Elizabeth
sonic tracked in
Turtle
Bay
and the west wall (where
Clearwater
was conveniently located). No luck with finding PGB.
Buddy flew on Saturday, June 9, in an attempt to locate her. A
phone message came in on June 10 from a Boca resident that they saw a
belted animal, mostly likely PGB because the resident reported the animal
looked small, which doesn’t sound like either Marco or Whittaker.
9/18/07:
6/12/07
– 9/17/07
On
7/10/07
PGB was reported by a citizen in the Boca Grande area.
We
also received two confirmed transmissions of her belt sonic from one of
our listening sonic buoys in Boca Grande on
9/12/07
but, due to other committed tracking issues (specifically with Una,
we were not able to respond.