Stranding reports of the Antillean manatee in the middle Magdalena Basin, Colombia 2011 to 2023

Authors

  • Gloria Katerin Arévalo-González Fundación Internacional para la Naturaleza y la Sustentabilidad – FINS, Chetumal, México
  • Lesly Cabrias-Contreras Centro de Conservación de Manatíes del Caribe, Universidad Interamericana de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
  • Andrea Venturotti N. Carneiro Wildlife Conservation Society - Programa Colombia, Cali, Colombia
  • Jenny Cristina Palencia-Murillo Cabildo Verde ST, Sabana de Torres, Colombia
  • Cristhian Mejía-Rey Corporación Raíces Verdes, Bucaramanga, Colombia
  • Carlos Arturo Saavedra-Rodríguez Wildlife Conservation Society - Programa Colombia, Cali, Colombia
  • Rodolfo Sánchez-Ruiz Corporación Autónoma Regional de Santander – CAS, San Gil, Colombia
  • Bibiana Paola Gómez-Castro Corporación Autónoma Regional de Santander – CAS, San Gil, Colombia
  • Juan Camilo Restrepo-Llano Corporación Autónoma Regional del Centro de Antioquia – Corantioquia, Medellín, Colombia
  • Juan Carlos Pérez-Ochoa Alcaldía de Simití- Bolívar, Simití, Colombia
  • James Anker Murillo-Osorio Cabildo Verde ST, Sabana de Torres, Colombia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5597/lajam00330

Abstract

The aim of this study was to conduct an analysis of reported events concerning Antillean manatee (Trichechus manatus manatus) strandings in the middle Magdalena Basin region of Colombia from January 2011 to December 2023. To achieve this, a literature search was conducted in newspapers, news broadcasts, as well as gray and published reports, complemented by interviews and workshops with various governmental and non-governmental organizations. This search resulted in reliable information regarding past experiences involving stranded manatees over the years. Cases attended to by the environmental authority and its partners were also considered. Forty-four stranding events were recorded, with 34 deaths and 10 live manatees. Of the cases discovered, 79.5% of the reported cases were addressed. This effort highlighted the current lack of an official database that would provide firsthand knowledge of Antillean manatee stranding events in Colombia, thereby hindering timely and appropriate territorial management during response to the challenges faced by this species in the region. Furthermore, it underscores the need to implement a standardized response pathway for manatee cases, following appropriate protocols, and promoting the coordination of stakeholders within the regional stranding network in the middle Magdalena Basin. This approach, in addition to supporting the capacity building of communities, institutions, and organizations for improving response knowledge, conservation, and manatee recovery, is of paramount importance for the long-term sustainability of manatee populations in the region.

Cover of Vol. 19 No. 1 depicting the face of a West Indian manatee taken underwater in the tannin-rich waters of the Tatumunha River, Alagoas, Bazil. Photo Credit: Enrico marcovalid/FMA Collection

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Published

2024-04-28

How to Cite

Arévalo-González, G. K., Cabrias-Contreras, L., Venturotti N. Carneiro, A., Palencia-Murillo, J. C., Mejía-Rey, C., Saavedra-Rodríguez, C. A., Sánchez-Ruiz, R., Gómez-Castro, B. P., Restrepo-Llano, J. C., Pérez-Ochoa, J. C., & Murillo-Osorio, J. A. (2024). Stranding reports of the Antillean manatee in the middle Magdalena Basin, Colombia 2011 to 2023. Latin American Journal of Aquatic Mammals, 19(1), 91-99. https://doi.org/10.5597/lajam00330

Issue

Vol. 19 No. 1 (2024): Special Issue on the Biology and Conservation of Manatees

Section

Articles

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