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Post by ncboman on Jun 17, 2006 16:50:22 GMT -5
Wildlife Officers Believe Boaters To Blame For 3 Manatee Deaths. JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Careless boaters might be the culprits responsible for three manatees found dead in the St. Johns River Thursday, wildlife officers said. The carcasses of two manatees were found near the Dames Point Bridge and a third was recovered near the Lyons Club Park. Wildlife investigators said there were deep wounds on the manatees and that they suspected that boat props were to blame. The discovery of the dead sea cows came one week after the mammals were taken off the state's endangered-species list and put on the threatened-species list. Manatee zone signs posted at nearly every dock warn boaters to reduce their speeds to protect the manatees. "You just have to do what the signs say and go slow. Don't try to run over them," said one boater. Even with awareness on the part of boaters, several manatees are hit and killed each year. Biologists said the mammals are slow movers and difficult to see because of their color. According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, an average of 336 manatees died each year in Florida over the past five years. An average of 43 of those are the result of watercraft impact. Investigators are waiting on a necropsy to determine the official cause of the three manatees' deaths. web page
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