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Late this evening 7news received information of an injured manatee and its calf behind the Bella Vista Canal. So far a team from the Coastal Zone Management is on the scene closely monitoring the situation to see if the mammals will need to be rescued. 7news was also on the scene and spoke with Program Coordinator Jamal Galvez –who told us the manatees were spotted from yesterday.

Jamal Galvez – Program Coordinator

"Yesterday we got a call about a baby manatee and a mother in this canal. My colleagues came out to look for it - we found it and it seems that nothing was wrong with it. We came out again today to make sure that the animal is okay. We realise that the animal has a boat strike on it's shoulder and it has been swimming a little bit on it's side which is signs of injuries. Normally they come into these quite areas to try and recover from the injury they may has sustained from any water craft or any thing of that sort. We're closely monitoring the animal to see what it does and we hope that it stays in here so it doesn't leave. Our plan is trying to block the canal off so it doesn't leave so we can monitor it to make sure it's okay."

Monica Bodden

"After the monitoring, how long will you guys be doing that for?"

Jamal Galvez

"We'll continue for the rest of this evening and tomorrow morning we will see what it looks like tomorrow morning. Right now it looks like it's hurt but isn't badly hurt at the moment. As the day goes by we'll see if it gets worst. And if it gets worst and there is need for a rescue, we will have to rescue boat the mother and it's baby because you wouldn't want to take one and leave the other."

Monica Bodden

"And they'll be taken where?"

Jamal Galvez

"These guys will be taken to the rehabilitation centre is Sarteneja to go through rehabilitation. Once they are healed and good to be back in the wild again."

The team will be monitoring the situation throughout the night.