I just read a delightful book titled J. Rooker, Manatee, written by Jan Haley and illustrated with paintings by Paul Brent. This is a children's book, based on a true story about a Southwest Florida manatee who is injured, then rescued, rehabilitated, then returned to the wild. He is named J. Rooker because he was rescued near Rookery Bay National Reserve near Marco Island, Florida.Manatees are marine mammals who can live in salt water or fresh water. They are docile plant-eating, air breathing animals, who communicate with each other with high-pitched squeals. They are socialble creatures who nuzzle each other and embrace with their paddle-shaped flippers.
Although a Florida Manatee Sanctuary Act was established in 1978, more and more of the manatees' natural habitat has been destroyed, and the slow moving mammals are often mangled by sharp boat propellers in waterways and lagoons. The death rate of manatees has outnumbered the birthrate for years.
The Save the Manatee Club was established in 1981. The Adopt-a-Manatee program is the major public awareness effort sponsored by SMC. Click on the link below for more information about the Adopt-a-Manatee program, a perfect idea for the holidays!
http://www.savethemanatee.org/adoptpag.htm
2 comments:
Lovely picture and post. Reminds me of all the animals I've never seen in person--manatee, wolf, "woofeener" (wolverine), badger, prairie dog, lots of Australian and African animals. I have seen lions and tigers and bears (oh my) in zoos, and black bears up on Monte Sano. "I think I could turn and live with the animals--" (Walt Whitman)
Hi Ramey!
Thank-you for visiting The Katillac Shack!
I love the manatees---so precious and peace-loving. This book looks great for Ellis our grandson.
And thank-you for the link-I look forward to reading more of your writing--your blog is lovely.
love, kelee
Post a Comment