Manatee may become endangered species

October 12, 2023 - Federal wildlife officials will consider whether the West Indian Manatee should be classified as an endangered species, pointing to issues such as a loss of seagrass that serves as a key food source for the animals. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service issued a document saying the agency will conduct a review, and that shifting manatees from a threatened species to an endangered species “may be warranted.” Such a change could offer greater protections for manatees and would effectively reverse a 2017 decision that reclassified the animal from endangered to threatened.