Dec. 9 (UPI) -- A manatee previously spotted with a bicycle tire wrapped around its body turned up more than a year later with the tire no longer in place.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said the manatee with the tire was first seen in Fernanda Beach in October 2019, and the animal migrated to Blue Springs State Park during the winter.
The commission said wildlife rescuers made repeated attempts to locate the manatee and remove the tire, but they were unable to find the animal because of the high population of manatees it the park at the time.
The FWC Research Institute said the manatee was again spotted at Blue Springs State Park this month, but without the bicycle tire.
Officials said they aren't sure exactly how the manatee escaped the tire, but they theorize a collision between the animal and a boat propeller in February may have cut through the tire enough to allow the manatee to swim free.
