AssetID: 55632012
Headline: First ever manatees arrive in Belgium in major conservation milestone
Caption: Two manatees have arrived in Belgium for the first time ever - marking a major milestone for wildlife conservation. The two five-year-old males, named Cuango and Ambroży, are the only representatives of the rare species currently in Belgium and are settling into their new home in Pairi Daiza zoo’s tropical Edenya zone. Cuango made the journey from ZooParc de Beauval on April 10, while Ambroży followed a week later from Wroclaw Zoo on April 17. Both animals are now gently acclimatising to their new surroundings - vast freshwater pools housed within what the park says is the largest tropical greenhouse in the world. Two more manatees are expected to join them soon, completing the group. The Caribbean manatee, a protected and peaceful species, can weigh up to 500kg and is rarely seen in European zoological parks. A spokesperson said the arrival represents both a conservation effort and an opportunity to raise public awareness. “It’s always with great emotion that we welcome a new species to Pairi Daiza. We have waited for the best possible conditions to be met to ensure the transport of the manatees, with the greatest respect for their well-being. We hope that they will touch the hearts of our visitors and awaken in everyone a greater awareness of the need to protect these species”, explains Antoine Lebrun, General Deputy Managing Director of Pairi Daiza. The move is backed by scientific research aimed at protecting the species in the wild. Between 2024 and 2025, the Pairi Daiza Foundation supported a research programme on Caribbean manatees in collaboration with the University of British Columbia and Tiergarten Nürnberg. The project identified key areas where conservation efforts should be prioritised, compiling nearly 1,900 data points to map favourable habitats and highlight regions most critical to the species’ survival. Researchers found that estuaries and river mouths are particularly important habitats, while coastal areas appear less affected. The findings are expected to help guide future protection measures and on-the-ground conservation work.
Keywords: feature,photo feature,photo story,Belgium, manatees, Pairi Daiza, zoo, wildlife, conservation, rare species, first manatees, Pairi Daiza zoo, Caribbean manatee, animals
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