Three manatees left the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in Powell on Monday, Oct. 12, headed to Florida for the final stage of their rehabilitation.

Redrock, Erie and Rosalyn were transferred to the East Coast Zoological Foundation’s Manatee Rehabilitation Center at Brevard Zoo, which will prepare the trio for release into Florida waters, WBNS reported. A fourth manatee, Hundo, left the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden the same day.

"We're proud to welcome Redrock, Erie and Rosalyn back to Florida to continue their rehabilitation journey," said Becca Downey, senior conservation manager with the East Coast Zoological Foundation. Downey said the goal is to eventually release the trio back to their native waters.

Three new manatees arrived at the Columbus Zoo's rehab center: Celine, Poplin and Gingham. The Cincinnati Zoo also took in three new patients: Tuglet, Smidge and Zimomo.

Becky Ellsworth, the Columbus Zoo's shores and aquarium region curator, said the work reflects the zoo's core conservation mission. She said the animal care and conservation medicine teams put significant expertise and time into giving each manatee the best chance of returning to the wild.

The transfers are coordinated through the Manatee Rescue and Rehabilitation Partnership (MRP), a cooperative group of nonprofit, private, state and federal entities that monitor the health and survival of rehabilitated manatees. Patrick Berry, the partnership's president, called the Oct. 12 transfers "a culmination of the dedication and expertise of the experienced professionals that make up the MRP."

The Columbus Zoo is one of only a handful of facilities outside Florida that rehabilitate manatees and one of just two in Ohio, according to the zoo's program page. It serves as a second-stage rehabilitation site, providing a temporary home until the animals are ready to return to Florida waters.

Since opening its Manatee Rescue and Rehabilitation Center in 1999, the Columbus Zoo has returned 45 manatees to Florida. The Cincinnati Zoo has helped release 31.

Visitors can see the new manatees at the rehab center during the Columbus Zoo's Lantern Festival, which runs Thursdays through Sundays through Oct. 25. The center stays open until 8:30 p.m. on festival nights.

Upcoming at the Columbus Zoo

  • Lantern Festival: Thursdays through Sundays through Oct. 25, 7:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Separately ticketed from daytime admission.
  • Manatee Rescue and Rehabilitation Center: Open until 8:30 p.m. on Lantern Festival nights.