Manatee spotted near Baltimore's harbor

A manatee may still be lurking around Baltimore's harbor, according to the National Aquarium, but the wandering sea cow from Florida is in increasing jeopardy as water temperatures drop, the Baltimore Sun reports.

A kayaker reported seeing a manatee late Thursday morning in the upper Patapsco River near Harbor Hospital, the aquarium said. It's just the latest of several sightings of the elusive animal in the past few weeks. But with only one photograph taken at Swann Park in the Middle Branch in August, biologists have been unable to confirm its continued presence or identify it.

"We have received scattered reports of manatee sightings over the past three weeks, but … no photographic evidence exists," Jennifer Dittmar, stranding coordinator for the aquarium's marine animal rescue program, said in a statement. She said aquarium staff are working with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologists from Florida to monitor the animal, but with no pictures or consistent sightings, "we are having trouble tracing its movements and assessing its health."

Read more about the manatee who may be swimming around Baltimore's harbor in the Baltimore Sun.