Romeo the manatee had been confined at the Miami Seaquarium for more than 60 years.
After an outpouring of concern for an elderly manatee named Romeo, the animal will live out his golden years in a special way.
Heartbreaking drone video showed Romeo the manatee swimming in a cramped pen at a Miami wildlife facility where he had lived for more than 60 years. The 67-year-old gentle giant had been in captivity at the Miami Seaquarium since 1956 and was destined to spend final days there had it not been for kind hearts on social media.
Phil Demers, co-founder of the animal advocacy group Urgent Seas, took the video which soon went viral. “Any social animal that lives in solitary confinement is a major concern,” Demers says.
With calls for his relocation growing louder, Romeo was moved to a new facility at ZooTampa on Tuesday as part of a large operation by activists, veterinarians, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Despite his advanced age, the three-ton manatee made it through the long journey unscathed.
“We transported him on his back the entire time in the truck, and he was very calm and relaxed and no problems whatsoever,” ZooTampa Veterinarian Cynthia Stringfield tells Inside Edition.
Romeo now socializing with other manatees. He was not the only one to be transported. His manatee friend Juliet, who is 61 years old, was also moved to ZooTampa. After medical evaluation, hopefully, Romeo and Juliet will be together again.
“When you start to relate to the animal, you start to feel like them. That’s a darkness you can’t unsee. It’s why we fight so voraciously for justice for them because they deserve it,” Demers says.
