Work Begins on Africa’s First Manatee Rehabilitation Centre
Enanga Prucillia
September 27
For many years, conservation work around Lake Ossa, one of Cameroon’s most important manatee habitats—has focused on protecting these animals in the wild. But as human activity, habitat loss, and accidental captures continue to threaten them, a new concern has emerged: What do we do when a manatee is found injured or stranded?
“We protect the manatee in its natural habitat, but what happens if it is found weak or stranded outside that habitat?” asked Dr. Aristide Kamla, President and Founder of AMCO, during a planning meeting with stakeholders in September 2025. “We need a place where the manatee can feel safe”.
This concern inspired the idea to create Africa’s first manatee rehabilitation centre—essentially a “hospital” for manatees in distress. The Centre aims to provide emergency care for manatees that are injured, stranded, or too weak to survive on their own, and then return them to the wild once they recover.
“This is our way of giving the manatee a second chance,” Dr. Aristide said.
With support from SeaWorld, the establishment of this facility marks an important shift in wildlife management in Cameroon and across Africa. While protecting habitats remains essential, rescue and rehabilitation offer immediate help for animals in urgent need.
Stakeholders from government, local authorities, and conservation teams meet with AMCO in Edea, Cameroon to plan the development of Africa’s first manatee rehabilitation centre.
The Centre will also become a place for learning and research, giving students, scientists, and local communities the chance to deepen their understanding of manatee conservation. It will stand as a symbol of hope, showing what can be achieved when people work together to protect a vulnerable species.
Stakeholders visit the site where the manatee rehabilitation centre will be built.
What started 17 years ago with the first visit of AMCO’s president to Lake Ossa has grown into a national effort to save a species that has long been overlooked.
As he puts it, “Protecting nature isn’t only about preserving habitats. It’s also about being ready to act when the life of a manatee hangs in the balance.”
