‘Going to be a long road’: Manatees Romeo and Juliet receiving round-the-clock care at ZooTampa

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — A pair of manatees who were moved from Miami to Tampa are receiving round-the-clock care at their new home.

Last week, manatees Romeo and Juliet were transported to ZooTampa after living at Miami Seaquarium for over 60 years.

Calls for Miami Seaquarium to provide a better social group for the manatees led to their transfer to Tampa, according to a press release.

“It’s going to be a long road, but there is no facility better prepared to address the urgent health needs of these manatees while the Manatee Rescue & Rehabilitation Partnership identifies the best option for their long-term placements,” said Dr. Cynthia Stringfield, manatee critical care veterinarian and Senior Vice President of Animal Health, Conservation and Education.

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ZooTampa said the manatees’ blood tests did not reveal any major abnormalities but there are aspects of their overall health that are unknown.

“Both animals are over 65 years old,” Stringfield said, “At this age, we always have concerns about cardiac health, which is difficult to evaluate in manatees due to their size.”

Stringfield said Juliet is 3,045 pounds, which is uncommon for manatees to be that heavy.

Since arriving at the zoo, officials said Juliet has not been eating. However, that is common for manatees after transport and zoo officials are providing “supportive care” to her.

Both Romero and Juliet are staying in ZooTampa’s rehabilitation pools and are socializing with other manatees, which the zoo says is an important aspect for a manatee in human care to thrive.

“As two of the oldest living manatees, Romeo and Juliet deserve the best care possible as they live out their final years,” Stringfield said.

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