The first manatee ever rescued in North Carolina was released back into the wild Thursday after spending a few weeks recovering at SeaWorld in Orlando, Florida. The manatee had been found by biologists lethargic and malnourished in mid-November in a drainage canal, likely attracted by the ditch's warmish waters, off the Tar River near Greenville.

The manatee successfully rescued from a Tar River canal in Greenville, Pitt County, last fall is free again. The 9-foot female manatee nicknamed Pamlico was released earlier this week in Florida after being medically cleared for release by SeaWorld Orlando and U.

Pamlico, a 9-foot female manatee, has been released back into the wild in Florida after being the first manatee ever successfully rescued in North Carolina.

Pamlico, the 9-foot female manatee rescued last fall, has been released into the Tampa Bay by staff from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation.

The Fish and Wildlife Service said this successful manatee rescue was the state’s first since they began keeping records in the 1970s. In 2021, officials said a manatee was foun