Listen Live
Power 107.5 Featured Video
CLOSE

Millennium and Falcon were orphaned at a young age when their mother, a manatee well-known to scientist and researchers, whom they tracked for years suffered fatal boat injuries. The twins arrived at the Columbus Zoo weighing just over 100 pounds, making them some of the smallest manatees to arrive at the facility.

Millennium and Falcon were rescued as orphans off the coast of Florida.

The twins began their journey back to Florida Monday night after completing their 22-month rehabilitation at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium.

A member of the Columbus Zoo’s animal care team, along with a staff veterinarian, traveled with the twins to the Miami Seaquarium. There, the zoo says the manatees will complete their final preparations to be released back to the area in the Florida Keys where they were initially rescued.

A statement from the Columbus Zoo

“We care deeply about all of the manatees who have come to the Columbus Zoo for rehabilitation, so each goodbye is a little bittersweet, especially when it comes to these incredibly special twins. However, given how small they were when they first came under our care, we are also very proud to have helped Millennium and Falcon overcome their challenges so that now, at approximately 525 pounds each, they can be healthy enough to be released back to their native range. Our participation in the Manatee Rescue & Rehabilitation Partnership is extremely important to us, and we remain committed to working with our partners to care for other manatees in need of our assistance in the future,” said Becky Ellsworth, the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium’s Shores region curator.

Follow the Radio Bae @thedopedixon