Maryland Department of Natural Resources found a deceased manatee in Colgate Creek in Dundalk last week.
A citizen reported the dead manatee to the department. The 9-foot, 800-pound animal was examined by a team of biologists and veterinarians at the Smithsonian Institution.
This was the third case of a deceased manatee in Maryland.
The first live Maryland manatee was documented in 1994 along the upper eastern shore of the Chesapeake Bay. "Chessie" was captured in Queenstown and taken to Florida for release.
Since then, manatees have been reported throughout the Chesapeake Bay each summer.
The Department of Natural Resources asks state residents to report any sightings of uncommon marine mammals and wildlife, including dolphins, manatees, sea turtles or whales. Sightings and strandings can be reported anytime to 800-628-9944.
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