Sharjah24 – AFP: Last September, Tasajerito the manatee was found lost in a Colombian swamp, just three days old and separated from his mother.
Nine months later, the baby sea cow weighs as much as an adult woman and is bottle fed round the clock by doting aquarium staff.
Though much stronger now, Tasajerito's prognosis is still touch-and-go, said Angela Davila, a veterinarian at the Rodadero Aquarium in Santa Marta in northern Colombia, near where he was found.
"Tasajerito is... still considered critical," Davila told AFP. "He appears strong, he appears lively and to be feeding well, but things can change in a heartbeat."
Rescued by fishermen, Tasajerito was brought to the aquarium with little hope of survival.
A search for his mother proved fruitless.
Now safely ensconced in a dedicated pool at the aquarium, he has clung to life -- increasing his consumption of a special vitamin-boosted milk formula six-fold in a few months.
Today, Tasajerito measures over 1.5 meters (4.9 feet) in length and weighs 53 kilograms (117 pounds).
Yet, he is still "a newborn," said Rodadero marine biologist Julieth Prieto, who noted that manatees are raised by their mothers for five years and suckle for half that time.
"This makes the rehabilitation process... a challenge because we have to meet those needs that the mother usually provides," she said.
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