Thursday morning (August 2, 2012), SeaWorld Orlando’s Animal Rescue team traveled to Merritt Island, Fla. to return a rescued manatee and her two-week-old calf to their natural environment.

A pregnant manatee rescued by SeaWorld’s Animal team in June has given birth to a healthy manatee calf!

As you prepare to stick to your resolutions for the new year, we wanted to share a few that we learned from our animals at SeaWorld Orlando, Aquatica, and

Only one breed of bear calls the dense jungles of South America home – the Spectacled Bear. These shy creatures are rarely seen and have become listed as “Vulnerable” on the IUCN Red List. Although population data is sketchy, some estimates suggest that fewer than 3,000 spectacled bears may remain in the wild today. The reasons for their disappearance are many – poaching, destruction of their habitat, and being killed by farmers as agricultural pests.

Conservation is once again the big winner! SeaWorld San Diego continued its support of conservation and animal protection efforts in Southern California with its donation of nearly $5,000 ($4,812.02 to be exact!) to the San Diego chapter of the Conservation Fund.

SeaWorld Orlando is using a custom orthopedic brace to care for once-stranded pilot whale. The whale has scoliosis – or curvature of the spine – that prevents her from swimming normally.

In July of 1989, a young orphaned manatee was rescued near Daytona Beach, FL and brought to SeaWorld’s Manatee Rehabilitation Facility. Weighing only 42 pounds, this tiny calf was named Lil Joe. After hands-on care, Lil Joe would grow to become a special, not-so-little manatee.

Earlier this week, SeaWorld released two manatees to Blue Spring State Park in Florida.