Canola

Abandoned shortly after birth, Canola was hand-raised by the aquarists at River Wonders, who bottle-fed her every two to three hours during her first months of life.

To replicate the richness of her mother’s milk, her formula was supplemented with canola oil — a practical solution that also, rather conveniently, inspired her name.

Canola has developed very clear feeding preferences over the years, particularly when cabbage is involved. During group feeding sessions, she has been observed drifting away from pellets mid-meal to position herself strategically near the preferred vegetables before the others arrive.

She also participates readily in training sessions with the veterinary and animal care teams, especially when familiar keepers are present. Trust, it seems, is important. As is cabbage.

Canola successfully raised her calf, Oliver, and has also been observed remaining close to and interacting calmly with other calves within the group. She was the first manatee at River Wonders to participate in Positive Reinforcement

Training for voluntary healthcare behaviours, including ultrasounds and routine health checks. These sessions allow the care team to conduct detailed monitoring while minimising stress — no small achievement for an aquatic mammal weighing several hundred kilogrammes.

Manatees are threatened by boat strikes, climate change, pollution and loss of seagrass leading to starvation .  We work with other zoos on a global programme to ensure the species' long term survival.

In 2016, two of our manatees were sent to Guadeloupe as part of the world's first manatee repopulation programme. Every calf raised here, and every guest who meets Canola, is part of that story.