Massive feeding effort under way to save starving Florida manatees

First two months of 2022 alone have seen more than 300 manatee deaths as major conservation effort to rescue population

More than 80 Florida manatees are currently in rehab centers across the US as officials and conservations work to rescue a population that has been hit hard by starvation.

The data, released by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and US Fish and Wildlife Service on Wednesday, underscores the peril facing the manatees, and comes amid a major conservation effort that includes a feeding program distributing 3,000lb of lettuce daily at a site by the Florida coast.