Almost 1,000 manatees have died in Florida in 2021 0:50
(CNN) --
Florida manatees -- dying at an alarming rate, largely from starvation -- are being fed tons of lettuce a week as part of a new feeding program that state wildlife management officials say , shows signs of success.
An average of 350 manatees a day come to eat the vegetables being distributed at a temporary response station at Cape Canaveral, along Florida's east coast, officials with the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said Wednesday. Florida Wildlife (FWC).
Manatees feed on lettuce provided by Florida wildlife officials.
The program was launched earlier this year as authorities work to address the unusual die-off of manatees on the state's Atlantic coast.
More than 1,000 manatees were killed in the state last year, according to the commission, the highest number recorded in decades.
On Wednesday, during a weekly video conference, officials said they have increased the amount of food they are distributing to about 20,000 pounds of greens a week, mostly romaine and butter leaf lettuce.
Both are fodder used in rehabilitation centers, according to Ron Mezich of the FWC.
These products have nutrients and digestible carbohydrates that animals need, he added.
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"So far we've been successful. The manatees are eating the romaine lettuce," Mezich said.
"We are exposing a large number of animals to this food source and we are making a difference."
The products are distributed to manatees, also called sea cows.
Manatees keep dying
The number of animals per day has ranged from 25 to 800, according to Mezich, and depends on the weather.
Although officials have seen some success, commission spokesman Tom Reinert said there has been an increase in mortality, likely a combination of the stress the animals are under due to a lack of food resources and cold temperatures. .
There have been 261 manatee deaths in the state this year, according to FWC data updated Feb. 11.
Many of these deaths are pending necropsy to determine the official cause.
There are currently more than 7,500 manatees in Florida, according to the FWC.
Reinert said it will be years before any kind of impact on the manatee population as a whole from this unusual mortality event is known.
Manatees gather at the food distribution center.
The feeding program is expected to continue through March, according to Mezich.
The program has been largely funded by donations from the public to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Foundation, which has paid for product shipments, according to Reinert.
CNN's Scottie Andrew, Kay Jones and Melissa Alonso contributed to this report.
