DRY TORTUGAS, Fla. (CBS12) — Two juvenile Masked Boobies were released back into the wild near the Florida Keys after they became disoriented during a storm.
The Key West Wildlife Center (KWWC) said the two fledgling birds were rescued on June 18 and were placed in the center’s care until they were in stable condition.
After about four weeks, the KWWC said the birds were in good condition to be returned to their home territory.
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Officers with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) assisted the center in releasing the birds near Dry Tortugas on the morning of July 18.
Photos show the birds floating on the water near Fort Jefferson following their release. According to the National Audubon Society, the seabird is, “a visitor to the Dry Tortugas, for many years, the Masked Booby did not actually begin to nest there until the 1980s.”
