The team liked the name Tostone (a side dish consisting of twice-fried sliced/smashed plantains), and the name Bananatee was inspired by the fact that the team of experts typically start calves on bananas when they first arrive for care. He now weighs 472 pounds and, like Bananatee, is considered to be healthy and ready to begin preparing for his return to Florida waters.īoth manatees were named by the care team at the Miami Seaquarium and were part of what the affectionately dubbed the “banana squad” (which also included two other manatees, Chiquita and Plantaina, who were rescued around the same time). Upon his arrival at the Miami Seaquarium, Tostone weighed in at approximately 99 pounds and was about 185 pounds when arrived at the Columbus Zoo with Bananatee. Tostone was also an orphan and had begun to show signs of cold stress. Tostone was estimated to be approximately 8 months old when he was rescued from the Lake Worth Lagoon in Riviera Beach, Fla. Thanks to the care he received, he now weighs 657 pounds! Since Bananatee had not yet been weaned and was still under a year old, the Animal Care team at the Columbus Zoo bottle fed him to help supplement his diet as he transitioned to eating lettuce. When he arrived at the Columbus Zoo on April 25, 2019, he weighed approximately 225 pounds, which is still considered to be small for a manatee as they can weigh over 2,000 pounds as mature adults. When he was initially brought to the Miami Seaquarium, he was estimated to be 9 months old, and he weighed only 42 pounds. There, both manatees will complete their final preparations to be returned to the areas in Florida where they were initially rescued.īananatee was rescued from the Indian Creek Waterway outside of Miami, Fla. Powell, OH - Manatees, Bananatee and Tostone, began their journey back to Florida late Monday night now that they have completed their rehabilitation at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium after being rescued as orphans off the coast of Florida.Ī member of the Zoo’s Animal Care team, along with one of the Zoo’s staff veterinarians, traveled with Bananatee and Tostone, and confirmed that they arrived safely at Miami Seaquarium.
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