RUSKIN, Fla. - Around 749 manatees have died in Florida in 2021, an unusual mortality event according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. This year marks one of the worst die-offs of the species in years, since a 2010 cold snap.

Some authorities say around 1,000 manatees could be dead by the end of the year, putting manatees at risk of extinction if this rate of death continues. According to the FFWCC, there are only around 7,520 wild manatees left in Florida.

The die-off is attributed to increasing water pollution, lack of food, growing human populations in the area and decreasing habitats.