Currently, I help supervise the Animal Ambassador Team (AAT) at SeaWorld Orlando. This is an area of the training department that many of you may not realize exists, but you’ve probably seen in action. You may have interacted with the animals at the SeaGarden, attend a school where we’ve made an educational visit, or seen animals on one of our many appearances on TV.

This morning SeaWorld Orlando’s animal care team traveled to Satellite Beach, Fla., a warm-water site, to release two manatees into a side canal off of the Banana River. Both animals were rescued and transported to SeaWorld Orlando last winter by the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), who was also on-site assisting with today’s release.

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.

The pilot whale is a high-flying member of the dolphin family and can be seen making audiences smile during the spectacular “Blue Horizons” show at SeaWorld San Diego, alongside Atlantic bottlenose dolphins.

Earlier this afternoon, an animal rescue team from SeaWorld Orlando, working with experts from Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota, Fla., transported a juvenile melon-headed whale from Mote Marine Laboratory’s Dolphin and Whale Hospital to SeaWorld’s Cetacean Rehabilitation Facility where it will receive long-term care.

Australia is known for its wild, untouched spaces, but it seems that a new invader may be disrupting the outback’s natural way of life. In many regions of Australia, feral cats and foxes are causing severe devastation to local wildlife - and creating a habitat that has been substantially altered. Many native species are facing extinction due to the disruption of this delicate ecosystem.

Hornbills are unique birds that look spookier than they are. Native to coastal forests and woodland areas throughout Africa, a silvery-cheeked hornbill named George calls SeaWorld Orlando home, and makes appearances as an animal ambassador. Let’s discover more about the distinctive hornbill:

The snow leopard is a magnificent, large cat found throughout the higher reaches of the Himalayas. These athletic animals have been known to leap as far as 50 feet - and take down an animal three times their weight. Yet these capable cats have been fighting a battle that’s hard to win – the race against extinction.

It’s estimated that there are only 3,500 to 7,000 snow leopards left in the world. In India, snow leopards still roam throughout the northernmost portions of the country, and a new project plans to keep it that way.

The cotton-top tamarin is a small species of monkey - known for the shock of long white hair that flows over its head. These unique looking creatures spend their time in the tree-tops of forests from Costa Rica to Columbia. Despite their remote locations, the effects of the modern world are threatening their existence – with deforestation stealing 75 percent of their natural habitat. Sadly, it’s estimated that today there are only about 2000 cotton-top tamarins left in the world.

Eagles are charismatic, majestic and powerful - characteristics that evoke public interest and awe. Positioned at the top of the food chain, eagles play a crucial role in the balance of a healthy ecosystem – and can serve as valuable indicators of environmental change.