Ilya The Manatee Rescued!

Good news! Just as the Marine Mammal Stranding Center was losing hope, Ilya the manatee has been rescued! 1010Wins reports he is currently "headed back to Florida aboard a transport jet after being rescued from murky waters near a New Jersey oil refinery."

Ilya was found on Monday and has been recuperating since — it was kept a secret until now so that the media wouldn't create a stressful frenzy for him! This morning he got on board his flight at Atlantic City International Airport this morning, and is reportedly headed for "an undisclosed military base Thursday morning." Top secret manatee mission!

The Star-Ledger has some video of the rescue, and hopefully Ilya is enjoying the warmer climate in Florida right now.

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

By Jen Carlson in News on October 29, 2009 1:57 PM

Comments [rss]

RevWaldo

What that sea pig needs to do is get a education and a job!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tM_lrK4upvw

DanielJ

Atlantic City has an international airport?

longacre

Yep, but don't let the "international" in the name fool you, there are plenty of small regional airports that use the word but don't actually have any international service. To its credit, ACY does have a couple of flights to/from Canada.

Mr. Shankly

I'll strike up the grille.

Peter

There was a South Park episode in which a supply company mixed up the school's order with one from the Denver Aquarium. The aquarium got fetal pigs for science-class dissection and the school got live manatees. Which they promptly dissected.