Full Breakdown
Baby Manatee Rescue Highlights Conservation Gaps in Ivory Coast
7/25/2026, 4:32:56 AM
Rescue and Immediate Care
Fisherman Goué André Clotaire Gbagou was working on the Sassandra Riverbed in Côte d’Ivoire when his net snagged a young West African manatee. Recognizing the calf could not survive on its own, Gbagou began hand-feeding it. The animal now resides in a local wildlife enclosure, where officials reported that as of July 22 it weighed 25 kg and was estimated to be two months old.
Agency Response and Planned Actions
A joint statement from Born Free USA, the Department of Wildlife and Hunting Resources (DFRC), and the Ministry of Water and Forests (MINEF) outlined the rescue’s next phases. The DFRC will continue to monitor the calf’s health and will decide on release once the animal outgrows the enclosure and feeds independently. Agencies also urged a shift to eco-friendly fishing practices to reduce net entanglement, and they promoted ecotourism as a means to generate local revenue while protecting the species. Training programs and pilot observation stations were suggested to help communities benefit financially from conservation.
Conservation Context
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classifies all manatee species as “vulnerable” on its Red List. In the Ivory Coast, no dedicated regional organization currently safeguards manatees, though the rescue has sparked heightened local interest. Threats identified by the agencies include entanglement in fishing gear, deforestation, mangrove loss, plastic and chemical pollution, and siltation of waterways.
Broader Implications and Community Initiatives
Gbagou is consulting with neighbors to launch a grassroots effort aimed at protecting manatees and other vulnerable fauna such as sea turtles, dolphins, waterbirds, and monkeys. Officials see ecotourism—particularly lake-based and lagoon activities popular with Ivorians—as an entry point for broader ecosystem preservation.
Next Steps
The DFRC will assess the calf’s growth before determining a release date. Simultaneously, Born Free USA, MINEF, and the DFRC plan to train communities in ecotourism promotion and to establish pilot sites with observation stations, linking financial incentives to species conservation.
