The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium welcomed four new manatee rescues, just after one rehabilitated manatee was returned to Florida.
Two of those rescues… twins! Their names are Millennium and Falcon, and they're making history.
The zoo says this is the first time it has ever housed twin manatees. That's because twin manatees are extremely rare – making up 1 to 4 percent of births, according to the zoo.
Millennium and Falcon are also the smallest manatees to arrive at the Columbus Zoo, each weighing just over 100 pounds.
The other Manatee Coast arrivals are 385-pound Jedi and 440-pound Junebug, both orphans rescued in Florida.
The zoo says this will be the first time it has housed more than two manatees in years, but long-term resident Stubby is expected to make fast friends with the new arrivals.
Cadbury, the rehabilitated manatee, left the zoo on Nov. 4 and will be released off the coast of Key Largo, where he was found in January.
To help care for the new arrivals, The Columbus Zoo's annual Giving Tuesday campaign will be dedicated to the manatees.
The campaign is a fundraiser that focuses on a species in need every Thanksgiving season. For more information or to donate,
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