An Antillean manatee calf rescued in Puerto Rico was admitted to the Caribbean Manatee Conservation Center, Puerto Rico’s manatee critical care facility, with vision impairment and a condition called exophthalmia (eyes protruding). Immediately a team of veterinarians, a veterinary ophthalmologist, and marine biologists got to the task of treating the manatee calf and recovering his condition. Led by veterinarian Lesly Cabrias and board-certified veterinary ophthalmologist Dineli Bras, the manatee was aggressively treated in a combined endeavor that included medications, nutritional support, and water quality management. As a result, his exophthalmia and vision problems were resolved in a month and a half.

The medical case of Bajarí, the name of the male manatee calf, was recently published in the peer-reviewed journal of Veterinary Ophthalmology. The article “Medical management and resolution of perinatal bilateral exophthalmia and secondary corneal ulcers in an Antillean manatee (Trichechus manatus manatus) neonate from Puerto Rico” (http://doi.org/10.1111/vop.12983), details the treatment and steps taken to correct his vision impairment and stabilize his rehabilitation.

Following this protocol, the team also assisted another manatee calf patient in Colombia, South America, with vision loss due to corneal ulcers. This cooperative effort exemplifies how veterinary clinical, veterinary specialization, and academia can successfully treat and manage manatee cases in the Caribbean and contribute essential information through peer-reviewed publications that would help other manatee facilities in the US and Latin America to help injured, ill, or orphaned manatees survive.