Manatee pair rescued from Oldsmar pond

OLDSMAR (FOX 13) - Two manatees are back where they belong after a huge relocation effort that took much of the day.

Dozens of wildlife workers and volunteers worked Monday to rescue two manatees that ended  up in an Oldsmar pond.  They were notified after some people on the nearby zip line attraction spotted them in the pond at Bicentennial Park.

Experts believe the manatees -- likely a mother and her calf -- got into the pond during high tide, then couldn't get out by themselves. 

They aren't sure how long they were in there, but say they can't handle waters that are too cold.

"During this time of year, pond water like this will drop below what a manatee can handle. Manatees like to be ideally in the 80's," explained Mike Walsh of the University of Florida Aquatic Animal Health program.
After being tagged and examined, the manatees were successfully returned to warmer waters.