Facts for Prelims (FFP)
Source: BBC
Context: A record-breaking gathering of nearly 1,000 manatees has in Florida, marking a very unusual phenomenon.
- Manatees, typically solitary animals, are known to gather in warm waters during colder weather.
- The recent influx may be attributed to a drop in the water temperature in the nearby St Johns River, compelling the manatees to seek warmer waters in the park’s hot springs.
Manatees are large, aquatic mammals that are sometimes called “sea cows”. Manatees are herbivores that eat over 60 different types of plants.
IUCN Status: Vulnerable
