HERNANDO COUNTY, Fla. — A sharp rise in manatee deaths has been linked to a "sudden dietary change," a preliminary investigation found.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) said the change of diet was leading to "acute lethal gut shock," which it said causes significant disruption within the manatees' digestive systems. State officials are still working to confirm this information.
The adult manatee carcasses have been found in the Mud River in Hernando County. ABC Action News has been covering the cases for weeks, starting with two manatee deaths that were reported in the same area in January.
Residents and officials alike have been perplexed by the deaths, which have increased to six over the course of six weeks.
The FWC is asking for the public to report any sightings of sick, injured, or dead manatees to its Wildlife Alert Hotline at 1-888-404-FWCC (3922).
