Six year old Daniel Atkinson loves marine mammals and wants to help them.  When he looked at the Florida Aquarium website when planning a trip with his mother, Daniel read about the emergency rescue of cold-stunned turtles.  Daniel decided that he needed to help, so he emptied his piggy bank and told his mom to send it to the aquarium.

Daniel’s donation of $53.50 was accompanied by a note urging the aquarium to use the money to buy antibiotics and fluids for the turtles.

When Daniel finally got to visit the aquarium on Friday he got a behind the scenes tour. Daniel was allowed to get up close and personal with some of the rescued turtles.

Read the whole story CFNews13.com.

Busch Gardens Tampa Bay has welcomed a new giraffe to their zoo family, raising the total number to 15. The calf weighed 147 lbs when born a few days ago.

Guests to the zoo will not yet be able to see the new baby as it is being cared for by its mother in a private section of the zoo. Once zoo staff determines that the baby is growing properly, both baby and mother will join the other giraffes in the Serengeti Plains exhibit where visitors can view the giraffes via safari-style tour or the Skyride.

The zoo is expecting another baby giraffe before summer.

Read more about giraffes at Animal Fact Guide.

Learn more about Busch Gardens Tampa Bay by visiting their website.

Discovery Cove in Orlando, Florida has welcomed a baby tamandua, or lesser anteater, to their animal family. The baby was born recently and will cling to his mother back until he is able to walk and find his own food. These anteaters are native to Mexico and South America, living in forests. Anteaters like this will eat up to 9000 ants a day! They use their sharp claws and long tongue to catch their tasty treats.

Read more at DiscoveryCove.com

The current cold weather in Florida has been forcing manatees to seek warmth any way possible. As a result, over 100 manatees have found their way into Satellite Beach Canal in Brevard County.

The problem posed by this is that the manatees have eaten all of the grass that lined canal. Now the manatees must either risk heading back into the frigid ocean waters to search for food or face starvation in the canal.

The chilly water puts the manatees at risk for cold stress, which can be deadly. The state has worked out a an emergency triage system if the manatees begin to get sick.

The manatees have also drawn large crowds of onlookers eager to get a glimpse at the endangered creatures.

For more, visit wftv.com.

The Brevard Zoo in Melbourne, Florida is host to a slew of new baby animals.  Pictured above is a five-week-old black and white ruffed lemur baby.  The zoo also welcomed a baby spider monkey and a Florida sandhill crane.  The baby crane’s father is actually a wild crane who flew into the zoo.

For more info: Florida Today

Harry, a jaguar who was born January 1st, made his official public debut on Monday at the Jacksonville Zoo.

He been staying in a holding area with his mother, Zassi. To mark his first appearance officials made speeches and then the mother and cub tore open pinatas containing meat.

Harry is the first jaguar born at the zoo in 28 years.  He was named by an 11-year-old girl whose parents had won the naming rights at a fundraiser; Harry is the name of her younger brother.

For more visit Jacksonville.com