Aired on WUFT on January 5th, 2011

The cold snap in December on top of the major cold snap earlier in 2010 doubled the yearly average of manatee deaths in Florida. Overall, 767 manatees died last year with nearly three hundred of those deaths coming from “cold stress.” The Florida Game and Freshwater Fish Commission handles the necropsies on the manatee carcasses. FWC veterinarian Martina DeWitt talked with 89.1 FM’s Donna Green-Townsend about how the cold weather took a toll on the endangered sea cow.