A lifeless male manatee found 1,000 miles from its normal range was taken and examined at a secure location, the Ministry of Public Works and Environment said today.

Staff from the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo — responding to a report of the deceased mammal on August 21 — found it in the waters of Harrington Sound, near Trinity Church Road, a spokesman said.

The manatee is believed to be the same one that was first spotted in local waters on August 5.

“BAMZ and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources received eight reported sightings over a two-week period and co-ordinated their response using information from the public while consulting with overseas experts on options to assist the animal,” the spokesman added.

The animal was reportedly seen in the waters of Harrington Sound, the North Shore, at Castle Harbour, near the West End, Hamilton Harbour, the Great Sound and off the South Shore before its lifeless body was found.

Staff searched for the mammal by boat and drone for two days after the initial sighting, without locating it, and responded to later reports where possible.

The spokesman said: “Manatees can be difficult to detect from the surface because of their slow movement, colouration and limited time above water.

“The carcass was recovered and transported to a secure location for a post-mortem examination, initial findings confirmed the manatee was male and severely emaciated.”

The animal weighed about 550lb. Normal, healthy adult males can weigh about 1,000lb.

Its cause of death cannot be determined until samples sent overseas for testing are analysed.

The spokesman explained: “Manatees are not native to Bermuda, and it remains unclear how the animal travelled approximately 1,000 miles beyond its normal range.

“The open-ocean journey, combined with limited access locally to its primary food source and fresh water, may have contributed to its poor condition.”

BAMZ and the DENR thanked members of the public who reported sightings of the mammal.