Rescued pregnant manatee released into the wild

OAK HILL, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35) - A pregnant manatee that was rescued off Cape Cod and flown from Connecticut's Mystic Aquarium to Florida earlier this month, was returned to her natural environment on Tuesday.

The manatee is named Washburn after the island where she was rescued was moved to SeaWorld Orlando, where she received care before her release back into the wild at River-Breeze Park in Oak Hill, Florida.

Manatees are mammals and are sometimes referred to as sea cows. A spokeswoman for Mystic Aquarium says it is very rare to see them as far north as New England.

The 800-pound Washburn was rescued Sept. 22, as water temperatures were dropping below 67 degrees -- too cold for it to survive.

A U.S. Coast Guard plane took off Tuesday morning from Groton, Connecticut, with the manatee.