Manatee On The Loose!

Ilya may or may not look like this

Earlier this week NYMag reported on Ilya the manatee, "who traveled to Cape Cod this summer via New York Harbor," and ended up in New Jersey this past Friday. Ilya hasn't been spotted since, with the Marine Mammal Stranding Center unable to track her down. Today someone reported they saw the manatee off the coast of Bayonne, but the MMSC says the report came in 8 hours after the spotting, and Ilya is still nowhere to be found.

If they find the "sea cow," they will put him "in a heated saltwater tank where he  can  recover for a few days while the agency arranges his transport down to  Florida, either by truck or Coast Guard plane." They say they're running out of time, so stay on alert Manatee lovers! Wonder if Ilya is related to the same Manatee spotted in the Hudson River a few years ago.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.