FORT WALTON BEACH, Fla. — A manatee who has been rehabbing over a year at ZooTampa has a new home in the panhandle.
Romeo was transferred to ZooTampa in December of 2023 for an urgent medical evaluation along with a companion manatee named Juliet. Juliet died in April of 2024.
Now, 70-year-old Romeo will be moving to the Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park in Fort Walton Beach.
The Gulfarium said the manatee will spend "his golden years here with us, enjoying expert care in a safe and enriching environment."
Romeo will be the oldest manatee at the facility.
Pasco County woman trying to rebuild mobile home after hurricanes
"I cried, of course, because I've worked very hard getting it nice, which has been difficult for me since I lost my husband and being alone,” Kelly Welty said.
Welty's mobile home lost its roof during Hurricane Milton. She said it was the only one in the Buena Vista community to get totaled by a tornado.
