Manatee born in Tampa zoo

TAMPA, Fla., Aug. 8 (UPI) -- A manatee calf was born in the Tampa, Fla., Lowry Park Zoo, to a mother rescued in January with a potentially fatal condition, zoo officials said.

The male newborn, nicknamed Lad, was born July 13 weighing 66.8 pounds, and is growing at 10 pounds per week. His mother, Joannie, was rescued from the St. John's River in Jacksonville, Fla., on Jan. 13 with a life-threatening condition the zoo's rehabilitation team likened to hypothermia in humans, the Tampa (Fla.) Tribune reported Wednesday.

Since Lad's birth, Joannie, who had been pronounced healthy by zoo officials, has also adopted an orphan manatee named Cheeno, who arrived at the zoo Feb. 15 from the Caloosahatchee River in Cape Coral, Fla., suffering from cold stress. Joannie and Cheeno have established a bond, and Lad and Cheeno can be observed nursing at the same time, the newspaper said.