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Florida’s manatee Romeo is back in the news after heartbreaking aerial footage of him swimming alone in a small concrete tank in an off-limits area of the Miami Seaquarium was leaked. The ‘Free Romeo’ petition has since gone viral and already gained more than 20,000 signatures with the support of surfing legend Kelly Slater also pleading for his immediate release. Romeo has long been separated from his partner, and the mother of his offspring, Juliet, and has been alone since his other companions were released. Such isolated existence is especially harmful since manatees are semi-social animals and suffer psychologically when not living in pairs or groups. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has slammed the site operators for their treatment of Romeo and general poor care. Earlier this year, the ’loneliest whale in the world’, Lolita, died after spending over five decades at the same center.
