Yesterday when an endangered Antillean manatee was found dead in the Swallow Caye wildlife sanctuary, she became the fourth member of her species to be found dead this quarter. And it looks like someone was hunting manatee meat! The nine-foot adult female's flippers and a large part of her shoulder area had been removed. The carcass also displayed cut marks presumably from a knife, indicating some level of hands-on human interaction.
And Manatee Man Jamal Galves who is the program coordinator of Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute has said quote: "In my 17 years of being involved with manatee conservation efforts in Belize, this is the first time I've encountered a carcass in this state." End quote.
The Antillean manatee is a protected species in Belize under the Fisheries Resource Act, which prohibits hunting or any form of harassment to this species.
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