A 1,000-pound manatee named Shantay drowned in January at Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park when staff left her unattended during a routine pool draining procedure, according to a federal inspection report.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture inspection report, dated March 5, details how park employees began draining the pool to provide care for the manatee but failed to maintain constant supervision. The water level dropped faster than expected while no one was watching, and Shantay became trapped.
"Had been found dead in the pool with her head stuck within a gap under the adjustable floor," noted federal wildlife officials in their call to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission on January 23, according to documents obtained by the Tampa Bay Times.
When a state wildlife biologist arrived at the scene around 12:30 p.m., Shantay's nearly 10-foot body was already covered with a tarp and placed on a stretcher. State wildlife officials who conducted an animal autopsy on Shantay listed the probable cause of death as "human related."
The necropsy report indicated that Shantay's pre-existing injuries "likely contributed to this unfortunate event." The manatee had been rescued in April 2021 from Alligator Bay south of Port Charlotte after suffering a boat strike that affected her ability to swim.
"Failure to implement proper handling procedures can result in injury or death of the animal. Handling of all animals shall be done as expeditiously and carefully as possible in a manner that does not cause trauma," the USDA report stated.
Patrick Rose, executive director of the Save the Manatee Club, defended the park's overall record while acknowledging the incident was preventable.
"They've had really an excellent record for manatee care, but it is something that I believe was avoidable," Rose said in an interview with Fox 13 Tampa Bay. "There should have been someone there on it all the time, in my opinion, and there wasn't."
After the incident, park staff worked closely with state wildlife officials to review what happened and implement changes. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection confirmed that manatees under care were relocated to a secure spring location and have not been returned to the pool where the incident occurred until necessary repairs were completed.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has requested an expert panel through the Manatee Rescue & Rehabilitation Partnership to work with the state park, review the incident and examine the remaining manatee housing areas. That review is ongoing.
This is not the first such incident in Florida. In 2017, Snooty, the world's oldest captive manatee, died at age 69 in Bradenton's Parker Manatee Aquarium when he became trapped in an underwater access panel that staff had failed to properly secure. His death was also deemed a "preventable accident."
The incident comes at a time when manatees face increasing threats from human-caused pollution, boat strikes, and red tide, underscoring the need for more rehabilitation facilities in Florida.
