Orphaned Manatee Calf On The Mend At Lowry Park Zoo (Video)

TAMPA, FL — A manatee calf brought to Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo in dire health about three months ago is well on the road to recovery, officials say. The little critter was named “Emoji” in honor of the zoo’s petition to get a manatee emoji created by Unicode, the organization that oversees the colorful images in the online world.

“The cute, little sea cow came to the zoo with a stomach full of trash and a fight for life,” Andrea Alava, the zoo’s spokeswoman, said. “After spending over two months receiving critical veterinary care, Emoji has made great health strides and looks to have a promising future.”

Emoji has now officially joined the zoo’s other sea cows in the newly updated manatee viewing habitat. The zoo’s Manatee & Aquatic Center recently underwent renovations that included enhancements of the viewing area “so guests can get a clearer look at manatees,” Alava told Patch.

As for the petition to get a manatee emoji created, Alava said the goal of 25,000 signatures was easily met. Zoo officials are now “putting together the proposal for Unicode.”

The petition drive was launched in honor of November’s Manatee Awareness Month. While plenty of animals, such as dogs, cats and elephants, all have their own emojis, manatees do not at present. The zoo wants to change that, so it launched the drive hoping to get Unicode to do a little programming magic.

For those who don’t know, emojis are the cartoon-like images often used in computer-based communications, such as those smiley faces that pop up on Facebook and other social media sites. The caricatures have been created for all sorts of animals, but manatees just haven’t made the cut.

There are plenty of reasons why they should, the zoo’s petition drive on Change.org asserted. “Not only are they adored mammals, they are also threatened,” zoo officials explained. “By creating an emoji, we are making it easier for people to think about and share their love for these gentle giants.”

Folks who want to meet Emoji and the zoo’s other critters in person will find more information about tickets and hours is available on Lowry Park Zoo’s website.

As for the push to get a manatee emoji created, Alava said updates should be coming soon.

Photo and video courtesy of Lowry Park's YouTube page