Hungry manatee munches on flooded Florida yard

Sea cow swam away safely after snack

FLAGLER BEACH, Fla. – While the extra rain and flooding Tropical Storm Eta brought to the state has many Floridians irked, the wildlife is absolutely loving it.

Case in point: This mammoth manatee that took advantage of the extra water and made a snack out of a Flagler Beach man’s backyard grass.

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The one-minute video, posted to Facebook Monday night by Matt Hathaway, shows the sea cow swim up to snack on the waterlogged backyard.

The caption from the footage blames high tide and Tropical Storm Eta for the water woes.

Tide is so high we have a manatee munching on the grass IN OUR YARD.😳 #Eta

Posted by Matt Hathaway on Monday, November 9, 2020

While some expressed concern that the aquatic animal could get stuck once the flooding recedes, Matt Hathaway replied that he watched the manatee swim away just fine, presumably off to feast on another unlucky resident’s hedges.

“Hey, at least I won’t have to mow down there when the water recedes,” Elizabeth Hathaway joked.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said tropical storms, hurricanes and other wild weather can pose some problems for manatees.

“Manatees can become stranded or trapped during and after a hurricane or tropical storm. Manatees stranded by storms may need medical attention by wildlife experts,” the wildlife agency wrote in a Facebook post.

Anyone who encounters a stranded, trapped, injured or dead manatee can call FWC’s Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-3922.

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