Amazonian Manatee Rescue Center, Iquitos

The Amazonian Manatee (Trichechus inunguis) is a freshwater species of manatee found in Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana and Venezuela.

Amazonian Manatee Rescue Center, Iquitos

The Center is located approximately twenty minutes from Iquitos at KM 4.5 of the road to Nauta.

Amazonian Manatee Rescue Center, Iquitos

The Manatee Center’s main focus is caring for orphaned manatees, with the aim of releasing them back into their natural habitat.

Amazonian Manatee Rescue Center, Iquitos

Visitors receive a brief introduction to the project and the species. and then have the opportunity to bottle-feed the young manatees.

Amazonian Manatee Rescue Center, Iquitos

During the feeding, there is the opportunity to stroke the manatees’ soft skin.

Amazonian Manatee Rescue Center, Iquitos

As well as giving manatees bottled milk, you can also feed them aquatic plants.

Amazonian Manatee Rescue Center, Iquitos

Manatees do not have incisors or canines, just a row of molars, which are continuously replaced: new teeth grow at the back and move forward to replace the older teeth at the front. The only other mammals that replace teeth in this way are elephants and kangaroos.

Amazonian Manatee Rescue Center, Iquitos

Manatee mothers are often accidentally killed by boat traffic, or intentionally killed by hunters for meat. The orphaned calves are then brought to the Center by concerned individuals or Peruvian authorities.

Amazonian Manatee Rescue Center, Iquitos

Aside from manatees, the Center also houses other rescued Amazonian species, such as this River Otter.

Amazonian Manatee Rescue Center, Iquitos

There are also baby South American River Turtles (Podocnemis expansa) at the Center, another species that has suffered a large decline in numbers in recent years.