Mote manatees star in Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom educational video
The resident manatees at Mote Marine Laboratory star in Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom web series launched today, April 23 — raising awareness for their species and demonstrating their special “job”: participating in Mote research to benefit conservation.
The two manatees, named “Hugh” and “Buffett,” live in the public Mote Aquarium in Sarasota, Fla., and are the world’s most highly trained manatees. They participate voluntarily in daily training sessions designed to help their health care run more smoothly.
Training has also allowed Mote to study how manatees perceive and navigate their underwater world, where boat strikes and other threats are common. Mote’s research is designed to help inform decisions by resource managers working to protect these endangered mammals.
That research is front-and-center in the new Wild Kingdom video segment "Mission Manatee." (Click on the image at right and then scroll down for the "Mission" segment. Additional segments discuss manatees in the wild.)
“Observing a research session with Hugh and Buffet was remarkable; I've never seen anything like it!” said Wild Kingdom host Stephanie Arne. “The more information the animal care team learns about manatee senses, the better cautionary plans we can implement in order to find a balance between recreational use of manatee habitat and conservation of the species. What Mote staff discover could actually help save this endangered species.”
More than 15 years of research with Hugh and Buffett has suggested that manatees:
- Have poor vision and probably cannot see fine details.
- Have good hearing over a wide range of frequencies, including the ability to hear pitches produced by boat engines despite loud background noise, and have a strong ability to locate which direction sounds are coming from. Hearing may be the first sense that alerts manatees to approaching boats.
- Are some of the most touch-sensitive animals on Earth thanks to their sensitive hairs called vibrissae. Their body hairs — more than 3,000 total — connect to collections of nerve cells that help the manatees feel water movements thousands of times smaller than the width of a human hair. Mote scientists suspect that touch may be important for helping manatees navigate their environment and socially interact.
“We learn something new from Hugh and Buffett almost every day,” said Kat Boerner, Supervisor of Manatee Research at Mote. “They've been so successful at advancing in their training and research programs. They are two really awesome manatees.”
Mote holds required permits from the United States Fish and Wildlife Service to house and care for Hugh and Buffett and engage them in training. Additional permits for scientific research, held by colleagues at New College of Florida, allow for collaborative cognitive and sensory studies designed to inform and support conservation of wild manatees.
Hugh and Buffett are known for more than research. Their exhibit in Mote Aquarium is open to the public from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. every day of the year, allowing visitors of all ages to learn about manatees and see these extraordinary animals up-close.
Said Boerner: “The thing I love the most about Hugh and Buffett is that they have become true ambassadors for their species.”
The third season of Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom premiered online in January 2015, featuring leopard cubs, sea otters and kangaroos. Season three of the web series culminates with the release of the four manatee webisodes on April 23. To view the entire season, as well as season one and two, visit: www.wildkingdom.com.
The original Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom premiered on network television on Jan. 6, 1963. It pioneered the format of wildlife TV and remains one of the most loved and respected wildlife programs in TV history.
Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium is an independent, nonprofit 501(c)3 research organization founded in 1955 and based in Sarasota, Fla., with field stations in eastern Sarasota County, Charlotte Harbor and the Florida Keys. Mote has 24 research programs and a variety of initiatives dedicated to today’s research for tomorrow’s oceans with an emphasis on world-class research relevant to conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity, healthy habitats and natural resources. Mote’s vision includes positively impacting public policy through science-based outreach and education. Showcasing this research is Mote Aquarium, open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 365 days a year. Learn more at mote.org.
Research work with Hugh and Buffett was supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation (IOS-0920022) to Gordon B. Bauer. The research was conducted under permit MA837923 from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The public should never feed or touch manatees in the wild.
