The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium is honored to be part of the Manatee Rescue and Rehabilitation Partnership (MRP), an ongoing partnership for more than 20 years. The MRP is a cooperative group of non-profit, private, state, and federal entities who work together to monitor the health and survival of rehabilitated and released manatees.

The Columbus Zoo was the first program partner outside of the state of Florida and is one of only a handful of facilities outside of Florida to care for manatees. The Columbus Zoo is a second stage rehabilitation facility that provides a temporary home for manatees until they are ready for release back to the wild.

To date, the Zoo has helped 32 manatees return to Florida after completing this stage of their rehabilitation.