By the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium
Cover image courtesy of Grahm S. Jones, Columbus Zoo and Aquarium
Meet Stubby, the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium‘s long-term resident manatee, community favorite and affectionately dubbed “Aquatic Queen of the Columbus Zoo.”
Image courtesy of Grahm S. Jones, Columbus Zoo and Aquarium
Stubby the manatee’s journey to Columbus Zoo
Stubby was rescued in 1995 around age 10 in the St. John’s River in Jacksonville, Florida. She then arrived at the Columbus Zoo on Oct. 9, 2005, from Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park in Florida.
Stubby’s health evaluation showed she was not yet ready to be released in the wild. Her injuries from a boat strike resulted in losing a large portion of her tail — and that was just the beginning of her health challenges.
Evidence of dermatitis (a skin infection) was first reported in Stubby in 2011. The infection progressed to the point that large areas of her body were affected. Stubby’s care team worked around the clock to aggressively treat her with antibiotics, antivirals, fluid therapy, nutritional assistance and wound care — at some points requiring daily or twice daily treatments.
“This was a terrible struggle for Stubby. She lost a significant amount of weight during various outbreaks caused by the infection, and there were at least five times we came very close to losing her,” said Doug Warmolts, the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium’s vice president of animal care. “I remember one day when all of us were sitting by her pool after we had just finished another round of treatment. We were trying to determine next steps and while we realized we were losing the battle, we just weren’t ready to give up on her.”
Stubby the manatee’s miraculous recovery
“I’ve never seen an animal rally back from a serious illness the way Stubby did, and she handled every one of her treatments with such grace. She was so trusting of us and so calm. She would look at us with those big, beautiful eyes, and I really believe that she knew we were trying to help her,” added Becky Ellsworth, curator of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium’s shores and aquarium region, where Stubby resides.
Stubby’s health eventually improved, and she has since made a full recovery, with only residual scarring remaining on her skin. However, due to Stubby’s other previous injuries, she is considered to be a conditionally non-releasable animal. Her condition is evaluated every five years to determine if she’s ready to return to Florida, but it is unlikely that she will move out of this category.
Although this is certainly unfortunate, in true Stubby fashion, it soon became clear that she was meant to forge her own path in helping her species.
Image courtesy of Grahm S. Jones, Columbus Zoo and Aquarium
Stubby’s training and contributions to manatee conservation
After Stubby’s health stabilized and her interest in training grew — perhaps due to her fondness for rewards in the form of leaf-eater biscuits — her care team also noticed other changes. As other manatees continued to come and go as part of the program, Stubby began to go off feed, seemingly affected if she didn’t have other manatees with her, even for a short amount of time.
This was relatively surprising since, at the time, researchers believed that manatees were usually more solitary. Because the care team had initially needed to place all their focus on getting Stubby through her illness, once she was better they began seeing other behaviors, particularly how intricately she interacted with the orphaned calves.
Image courtesy of Allison Martain, Columbus Zoo and Aquarium
Stubby’s role as a manatee foster mom
Stubby has voluntarily filled the role of a surrogate mother to the orphaned manatees who arrive, providing them with lessons that the human care team is unable to offer. She teaches them how to be a manatee.
“She socializes them and provides them with all the tools they will need that we’ll never know how to teach them,” Ellsworth said. “Each time new young manatees come to the zoo, Stubby immediately welcomes them. She lifts them to the surface to take a breath. She guides them out into the main aquarium and takes them on a full tour. She shows them where the food is and, of course, reminds them that she gets the good heads of lettuce.”
Image courtesy of Grahm S. Jones, Columbus Zoo and Aquarium
Rehabilitating Squirrel the manatee
All the young manatees immediately take to Stubby, who thrives in her vital role. In 2020, the Columbus Zoo welcomed Squirrel, who, at 116 pounds, was one of the smallest manatees ever to arrive at the zoo. Throughout Squirrel’s rehabilitation, she rarely left Stubby’s side, often keeping one flipper on her even while sleeping. As Squirrel grew, she started to show more independence, also thanks to Stubby’s guidance.
“People will ask us how we know when a manatee is ready for release. There are a lot of benchmarks, such as weight and length and time they have been in professional care. But we always watch Stubby carefully, too. As quick as she is to take a young orphan under her flipper, she’s just as quick to separate herself from the older ones that are ready to go,” Ellsworth said.
In 2024, Squirrel was returned to the wild. Watch her release into Florida’s Blue Springs State Park on Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom Protecting the Wild in the episode, “Gentle Giants.”
Image courtesy of Grahm S. Jones, Columbus Zoo and Aquarium
Stubby’s legacy
“I remember visiting Stubby when I was a kid, and now I’m bringing my kids to the Zoo to see her,” said Annie N., a Columbus Zoo member from Westerville, Ohio. “She is one of our favorites — a true icon — and a great ambassador for her species as she provides our family with a personal connection and a reminder of the importance of taking care of the world around us.”
Stubby’s care team has a long list of favorite memories, though many have to do with the inspiration, hope and lessons that she provides to them, too.
“I hope people see that if a manatee with health issues and no tail can find her calling in life, they can, too. The Manatee Rescue and Rehabilitation Partnership is doing incredible work for the manatee population, and Stubby is a huge part of those efforts,” Ellsworth said. “Stubby has been through so much and has persevered through it all. She has played such an important role for so many animals, and she will never know the impact that she’s had on the species.”
Image courtesy of Grahm S. Jones, Columbus Zoo and Aquarium
How can you aid in manatee conservation?
Want to help protect manatees and other aquatic specie? Check out these tips to get started:
- Reducing the use of fertilizers in our lawns and gardens helps prevent the harmful algae blooms in the ocean that may harm many sea animals and the food they depend on. Avoiding the use of fertilizers can also help local plants and wildlife return to their native ranges and habitats.
- Report a sick, dead, injured or tagged manatee that you see in the wild.
- Pick up trash! When trash ends up in our oceans, animals often mistake it for food. That same trash can also wash up on beaches and impede species like sea turtles from nesting.
- Admire wildlife from a distance
- Support sustainable seafood practice. Learn how to make the best choices when it comes to buying seafood.
- Sunscreen is a must, especially in the hot summer days. Make sure to think about the ocean and use a sunscreen that is considered coral reef friendly.
- And, of course, consider visiting the MRP partner facilities to learn more about manatees!
Watch another manatee release on Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom Protecting the Wild’s Season 1 episode, “Sea Creatures of the Florida Coast.”
