Funny rescued manatee tries to steal buddy's bottle

These manatees were found on the beach when they were just tiny babies, so they had to be rescued and now are cared for at a rehabilitation center, waiting to go back to the ocean once they are old enough. They get bottle-fed five times a day, with a special formula containing the fat and nutrients they need. Because there are too many animals, they can't all get fed at the same time, and the one seen drinking his formula in the video is the big bully that will try and still everyone else's bottles when he is not the one getting fed. Well, this time the tables have turned, and one of the manatees that always gets bullied decides to get back at him, and try to steal his bottle for a change! It wasn't a very successful attempt, but it was worth the try! Manatees are such funny animals!Show more

The West Indian Manatee (Trichechus manatus) is the largest species of Sirenians alive. The Sirenia order also includes the Amazonian Manatee (Trichechus inunguis) and the African Manatee (Trichechus senegalensis).

The West Indian Manatee is currently divided into two subspecies, the Florida Manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris) and the Antillean Manatee (Trichechus manatus manatus), although recent data indicates three separate lineages: one in Florida and the Greater Antilles; another in Western and Southern Gulf of Mexico, Central America, and Northwestern South America, West of the Lesser Antilles; and the third one on Northeastern South America, East of the Lesser Antilles. Evidence indicates that there might be hybridization with the Amazonian Manatee, in some areas near the mouth of the Amazon.

In 2017 the West Indian Manatee’s status has been downgraded from endangered to threatened, but it's essential to have stronger emphasis on preserving and restoring warm water habitats, and increase the reports of manatee boat strikes, in order to sustain this progress.