Will More Money Save the Manatee?

WGCU | By Valerie Vande Panne

Published May 7, 2021 at 9:36 AM EDT

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Calf between mother's flippers

FWC Flickr

State officials are doubling their funding for Florida wildlife officials to help manatees recover from what appears to be a mass die-off due to starvation.

Florida Today reports the $8 million in funding this year comes from the Florida House of Representatives supplemental funding list, and FWC is unsure at this time how to spend the funds. At least 695 manatees have died so far this year, 53 in Lee County alone.