Inside Manatee Rescue Efforts: Firsthand Look At Mission to Save Beloved Sea Creatures

NBC ID: MAAAABP8EK | Production Unit: Today Show | Media Type: Aired Show | Air Date(s): 03/04/2020 | Event Date(s): 03/04/2020

Transcript

Event Date(s): 03/04/2020 | Event Location(s): Fort Myers, Florida | Description: NBC News Correspondent Kerry Sanders reports live on-camera from Fort Myers, Florida. Shot zooms out Poinsettia the manatee on a trampoline with several volunteers standing by. EJ 08:20:47 EXT DAY MS: Poinsettia in water tank. CLIPS: Cellphone video of Poinsettia during her rescue. STILLS Aerial photo showing a ride tide algae bloom nearby beach off the Gulf of Mexico EXT DAY AERIAL: Dead fish line the beach. MS: Dead fish on the beach. MS: Surf rolls up to dead fish on the beach. MS: In interview, Staff Veterinarian at ZooTampa Lauren Smith says, “Yeah so what red tide does is it affects their neurologic system to where they're not able--they're basically in a coma state.” MS: Sander says, “So Poinsettia couldn't function?” Smith says, “Correct. She could not surface and function and breath on her own.” Shots of manatees swimming in tank. UNDERWATER Poinsettia and other manatees swim EXT DAY MS: Sanders looks on as Animal Care Manager at ZooTampa Molly Lippincott bottle-feeds a baby manatee. OHS: Manatees swim in the water tank. MS: As they throw romaine lettuce into the tank, Sanders asks, "They only eat plants?” MS: Lippincott says, “They only eat plants..strictly herbivores" MS: Manatee feeds on the lettuce. MS: Lippincott and Sanders throw lettuce into the tank. MS: Manatees feed on the lettuce. MS: Lippincott says, "They're grazers, so they eat about 8-hours a day. So all day long.” Sanders says, “That's a lot of eating!” Lippincott says, “You can watch, as we feed, it's almost already gone." OHS: Manatees feed on the lettuce. UNDERWATER The manatees feed on the lettuce. Manatees swim. EXT DAY MS: Sanders says, “Are they related to anything we would know on land?” MS: Lippincott says, “Yeah the closest living relative to them is actually elephants believe it or not.” MS: Sanders says, “Elephants?” MS: Lippincott says, “Yeah they have a prehensile lip like an elephant's trunk um and they also have some other characteristics that are very similar to elephants.” MS: (Time-lapsed) Sanders looks on as woman works with manatees in shallow pool. MS: Manatees splashes. MS: (Time-lapsed) Sanders looks on as woman works with manatees in shallow pool. MS: Person inserts feeding tube into manatee’s nose. MS: Lippincott says, “This is our way of giving them fluids or medication.” MS: Veterinarians administer Pepto Bismol to manatee through the tube. MS: Sanders says, "So what's her prognosis?" Lippincott says, “Overall, her demeanor is good, she's active she's interested -- she's doing well in deeper water, so I think she's on the road to recovery for sure." MS: manatee. MS: Lettuce lands in the water. MS: Lettuce floats. MS: Sanders and Lippincott throw lettuce into the water. MS: Manatees swim. UNDERWATER Manatees swim. Flatulence bubbles float up from a manatee. EXT DAY MS: Sanders says, “We had a chance to see bubbles coming up and wow does that smell (laughs). But I'm told as a vet that that's a good sign?” MS: Smith says, “Yeah so part of what the team reports back is how well these animals are passing gas and that's great process. That's what manatees do, they sit around, they eat, they pass gas, and to me that's good, that gut's working.” (laughs) Shots of Poinsettia swimming and feeding. VO: Sanders says, “So her future looks good?” Lippincott says, “Absolutely, yes.” Sanders reports live on-camera as he and volunteers carry Poinsettia in the tarpaulin into the Orange River and release her, Sanders noting various details about manatees and manatee conservation.

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Credit:
NBC News Archives
Editorial #:
1276303272
Collection:
NBC News Archives Offline
Transmission date:
04 March, 2020
Upload date:
Licence type:
Rights-ready
Release info:
Not released. More information
Location:
Fort Myers, Florida, United States
Source:
NBC News Archives Offline
Object name:
MAAAABP8EK