Dead manatees in Georgia likely killed by propeller

(From macon.com)Georgia-  Four endangered manatees have washed up dead within a few miles of the downtown Savannah riverfront in the past week, leading wildlife officials to speculate they may have been killed by a single large ship. Clay George, a wildlife biologist with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, said Tuesday three of the manatee carcasses pulled from the Savannah River suffered deep propeller wounds. One had been sliced in half. Judging by the size of the cuts, the manatees appear to have been hit by a vessel the size of a tugboat or larger. In Florida, watercraft strikes killed 73 manatees in 2007 and have caused 60 deaths through July 31 this year, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

( By Russ Bynum – Associated Press )

Read Full Article