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Pregnant Manatee Rescued Off Conn. Coast Returns To Florida Waters

MYSTIC, Conn. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- A pregnant manatee rescued from the waters off Cape Cod in September has been released back into the wild off the coast of Florida.

The nearly 900-pound marine mammal, nicknamed Washburn, was given an ultrasound and fitted with a tracking transmitter before she was released Tuesday into the Indian River in Oak Hill .

The manatee was rescued off Washburn Island in Falmouth by the International Fund for Animal Welfare on Sept. 22. The group said it was concerned that the northern waters would soon be too cold for her to survive.

She was taken to the Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut where she underwent nearly a month of rehabilitation before being flown in mid-October to SeaWorld Orlando.

According to officials from SeaWorld Orlando, the manatee was experiencing signs of cold stress syndrome, which can impact the creatures when they are exposed to cold water temperatures for extended periods of time.

SeaWorld veterinarian Lara Croft said Washburn appeared healthy and calm when she was released.

"This was an amazing rescue to be part of -- one that spanned almost the entire eastern seaboard," Croft said in a video posted to SeaWorld's Twitter page. "And so this is incredibly rewarding for us to see it full circle, and to have her return."

November is National Manatee Awareness Month.

(TM and © Copyright 2016 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2016 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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