Manatee leaves Cape Cod for Florida

BOSTON, Oct. 12 (UPI) -- Marine conservationists in Massachusetts say a manatee who strayed far north of his habitat has been captured and is on his way to warmer waters in Florida.

The 800-pound manatee, nicknamed "Dennis," was nabbed from the waters of Sesuit Harbor Saturday for the drive to a rehabilitation clinic at SeaWorld in Orlando, Fla., The Boston Globe reported Sunday.

Hundreds of people lined the shores in recent days to try to catch sight of Dennis, the first manatee ever found so far north, the Globe reported, noting manatees typically roam the coastal waters of the southeastern United States.

Rescuers in Cape Cod said the manatee's temperature was 24 degrees below normal when he was brought ashore Saturday in an operation that is costing tens of thousands of dollars to save him.

"It is a lot of money to spend on an animal, but it's an endangered species," said Katie Touhey of the International Fund for Animal Welfare. "It's an honor to be part of this, for those of us who have a passion for animals."