Newt arrived at RAREC on January 28, 2023, when he was about two months old. He was accidentally caught by a local fishing community along the Amazon River, who quickly realized he was alone with no mother in sight. Sadly, it’s possible that his mother was a victim of poaching, a practice that still threatens manatees. They are often sold for their meat for as little as three soles per kilo.
Newt was named by the Save the Manatee Club after marine mammal enthusiast Olivia Newton-John. He is currently still bottle-fed multiple times a day, but by 2025, he is expected to graduate to the pre-release lake. Despite his young age, Newt is already the largest manatee at RAREC!
Maynas, a male manatee, was rescued in August 2016 when he was just one month old. He was weaned in 2020 and has since been living in the pre-release lake at RAREC. Recently, he was moved back to a rehabilitation tank next to Newt, where the water is carefully filtered with huama to help manage his ongoing colic issues.
While the goal is always rehabilitation and release, Maynas future remains uncertain. If his colic problems persist, he may not be releasable and could remain at RAREC as an ambassador for his species. His health continues to be closely monitored as we assess the best path forward for him.
As a nonprofit organization, 100% of your donation goes directly toward our mission, helping provide essential care for our rescued animals. Your support enables us to enhance their enrichment, improve their diet and enclosures, and provide necessary medications. Each month, we spend $16,000 on the upkeep of our center to ensure the well-being of the animals and the success of our programs.
If you choose to sponsor one of our residents, you‘ll be the first to know about their progress, updates, and special milestones. In appreciation, you‘ll receive a digital certificate, a quarterly newsletter, photos of the sponsored animal, a hand-made keychain, and a fact sheet about your sponsored animal.
For more information about the animals available for sponsorship and their backstories, please visit the Current Residents page on our website.
This center wouldn’t be what it is without the generous contributions of each and every one of you. Here are a few ways you can support our mission:
Recieve a quarterly update of our projects and animal updates including recent rescues as well as job openings.
