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Orphaned Manatees Find a Happy, Healthy Home at the Cincinnati Zoo

1010 WINS-The Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens just received three new adorable manatees from SeaWorld Orlando. The orphaned mammals, Pippin, Miles, and Matthew will have plenty of love and attention during their rehabilitation at the zoo.

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(Credit: Cincinnati Zoo)

And even better, two manatee favorites, BamBam and Betsy, have finished their rehab and were recently brought back into Florida waters -- BamBam is currently spending time at SeaWorld Orlando awaiting his release in early 2018 and Betsy will spend the rest of her days at the Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park as she is not considered a candidate for release.

According to the Cincinnati Zoo, the moves between multiple institutions represent a collaborative effort by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Manatee Rescue and Rehabilitation Partnership (MRP), a program designed to rescue and treat sick, injured and orphaned manatees and then release them back into the wild.

BamBam will be the fourteenth manatee to be rescued and released back into the wild.

See Also: Baby Flamingo Gifted Custom-Made Shoes From Zoo

"Being part of the MRP is a huge undertaking. While we do get attached, we know that this is all part of a much bigger picture. Each time a manatee leaves, it means they are going back to the wild and that we've done our job," said manatee care team member Lindsay Garrett. "It means that all of the time and effort was worth it."

That's a lot of fin-tastic news all around!

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-Joe Cingrana

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