Development of the Manatee Halfway House began in 1994 with the leadership, dedication and significant in-kind services of the Miami River Marine Group. When complete, the project will significantly enhance the capabilities of the only South Florida manatee treatment center which is licensed by the United States Fish & Wildlife Service.
This highly specialized, not-for-profit manatee treatment and recovery facility will help manatees injured and orphaned in South Florida waterways recover for re-release into the wild. It will be located in a natural lagoon on the grounds of the Miami Seaquarium and operated under the expert direction of noted wildlife veterinarian and comparative pathologist Gregory Bossart, D.V.M. Dr. Bossart has been widely recognized for his volunteer efforts to rescue and provide medical treatment to injured manatees.
The Manatee Halfway House is being developed to provide the best possible medical treatment and initial rehabilitation for injured manatees. The facility will provide a protected, natural habitat for the manatees to recover and gain enough strength to fend for themselves in open waters again. The Manatee Halfway House will cooperate with the three other licensed treatment and recovery sites throughout Florida on a case-by-case basis.
To launch the project, the Miami River Marine Group pledged its members' in-kind services, and the mounted its community fundraising campaign to raise funds. In the Spring of 1998, the Miami River Marine Group fulfilled its initial obligation of raising $100,000 and turned completion of the project over to the Marine Life Preservation Society. Their work can be viewed at http://www.manateehospital.org.
Generous Sponsors of the Manatee Halfway House
West Indian Manatee Fact Sheet
Manatee Halfway House gets Funding
Volunteers
helping the manatees
A
manatee friend - Metro-Dade Commissioner Pedro Reboredo
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION WRITE OR CALL:
Dr. Fran Bohnsack
c/o The Miami River Marine Group
690 S.W. 1st Court
Miami, FL 33130
Phone:(305)285-1864
Fax: (305)285-9371
or
Ms. Joan Caron
c/o The Miami Sequarium
4400 Rickenbacker Causeway
Miami, FL 33149
Phone: (305) 365-2512 x 516
The Manatee Halfway House is now called the Manatee Hospital and Halfway House. The offical address is: http://www.manateehospital.org
After you've helped the manatees, visit their good friends at
The Miami Museum of Science and
Space Transit Planetarium
Last Updated March 20th 2000
