Friday, March 12, 1999

Cincinnati, Columbus race to house manatees

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But the big critters still win, either way

BY PHILLIP PINA
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Rita, one of the largest manatees in the care of man, weighs in at 2,800 pounds. (Sea World of Florida/Richard Gibbs photo) | ZOOM |

        The Columbus and Cincinnati zoos are racing against time, accidents and each other to finish the first northern home for endangered manatees.

        The winner will have the first manatee exhibit in Ohio, and only the second in the United States outside Florida. (The other exhibit for the slow-moving marine animals is at Sea World in San Diego.)

        “Which opens first has taken on a life all its own,” Columbus Zoo Executive Director Jerry Borin said.

ABOUT THE MANATEE

The average adult manateegrows to about 10 feet and weighs about 1,000 pounds.   The animal is listed as endangered with fewer than 2,000 thought to be remaining in the United States.   The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for years prohibited keeping manatees in captivity outside Florida. But rescue programs in that state, where most manatees in the United States can be found, were overloaded.

        Earlier this year, the Columbus Zoo had contractors replace waterproofing on a leaking 190,000-gallon tank. Columbus' $10.5 million Manatee Coast exhibit was expected to open in April, but completion has been delayed until late May or June. It will feature four manatees.

        In Cincinnati, the zoo's Manatee Springs has a new opening date of May 22. It will house two manatees.

        Ten months ago, the $4 million project went up in flames when a contractor's torch started a five-alarm blaze. The nearly complete manatee house was set to open July 10, 1998.

        While civic pride may be on the line, the competition can hardly be called fierce, said Cincinnati Zoo spokeswoman Donna Oehler. After all, the two zoos work together on a number of projects. The real goal is to protect the manatee and educate the public about the dangers the animals face from boats and other hazards.

        Still, being first would be a nice reward, she said.

       

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