Georgia wildlife officials used a bulldozer to help rescue a manatee that got stuck in sand near Savannah.

The Georgia Department of Natural Resources said the large manatee was navigating a man-made shortcut between rivers near Savannah on Oct. 1 when it got stranded at low tide. That's because the cut is being filled by the Army Corps of Engineers to create wetlands.

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The state agency posted video online that shows wildlife workers keeping the manatee wet until a bulldozer plows a trench that allows river water to reach the animal. Workers then roll the manatee onto a stretcher and guide it to deeper water.

Manatees are protected as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. They pass through Georgia waters on their way to Florida for the winter.

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Julian Conley listens during opening statements in his trial at Fulton County Superior Court in Atlanta on Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025. The 25-year-old is accused of fatally shooting 8-year-old Secoriea Turner in July 2020. (Abbey Cutrer/AJC)

Credit: abbey.cutrer@ajc.com