Sea cow, not pond cow.
A juvenile manatee was rescued from a small pond in Florida — a mile and a half from open water — after being stranded there due to the storm surge of Hurricane Helene.
A hunter near the Big Bend Wildlife Management Area, in Dixie County, stumbled upon a 500-pound, 2-year-old manatee last week, according to a Facebook post from ZooTampa at Lowry Park.
That flabbergasted hunter quickly called authorities who came to rescue the distressed pup — which they named Gully.
Photos show rescuers hard at work attempting to pull poor Gully from the remote wilderness that had become its prison.
Due to a limited food supply in the small pond where the mammoth babe was found, Gully lost a concerning amount of weight, according to the post.
Gully ended up so far from home due to the severe storm surge brought on by Hurricane Helene, experts believe.
“This region sustained significant storm surge flooding in late September due to Hurricane Helene, which is likely how the manatee ended up so far from open water,” the post reads.
“Manatees that are displaced by storm surge waters often remain in unusual locations with limited food sources after the surge recedes,” the statement continued.
Gully was found not far from where Hurricane Helene made landfall in the Big Bend region near Perry, Florida, according to the Miami Herald.
Gully was transported back to ZooTampa for a full health evaluation and to receive care before being released back into his oceanic home, according to the Facebook post.
November is Manatee Appreciation Month.
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