Manatees rescued in AP begin release process in PA and receive reception from students

The moment marked the end of a long journey that began years ago, when Victor and Perpétua were rescued as puppies. More than celebrating the arrival of the animals in Marajó, the reception also reinforced the importance of environmental education among the new generations.

"It is very important that our children have this experience. We are a school committed to environmental preservation and we also work on Marajoara culture. Therefore, this moment is very significant, especially due to the feeling of belonging that we seek to develop with the students", highlighted director Dinizia Pacheco.

In Soure, Victor Maracá and Perpétua will be taken to the Omar Acclimatization Center. There, they will join the manatee Adria and go through the final stage of adaptation to the natural environment before release.

Today, the animal measures 2.51 meters and weighs 319 kilos. Considered a second-generation hybrid between the marine manatee and the Amazon manatee, it spent practically its entire life away from the natural environment.

Perpétua arrived at Fundação Bioparque da Amazônia in 2020, after being rescued when she was around three months old. Measuring 2.06 meters long and weighing 124 kilos, the female has a more skittish behavior and tends to react to the approach of people.

Victor Maracá and Perpétua left Macapá on Saturday (7), in an operation that mobilized dozens of professionals and required careful planning to guarantee the well-being of the animals throughout the trip.

"Before returning to the wild, the manatee goes through a fundamental stage in the rehabilitation and release protocols: acclimatization before release. As the name suggests, acclimatization is the process of adapting the animal to the environment where it will be released. This phase needs to happen as close as possible to the place where it will return to the wild. This way, the manatee gets used to the environmental conditions, such as the tidal regime and food availability", he explained.

Until then, the journey of the two manatees continues. This time, each step brings them a little closer to the rivers and landscapes that they will one day call home again.