ESTERO, Fla.- It was a homecoming of massive proportions for two manatees on Wednesday. The mom and calf have spent the past three months at Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo, rehabilitating from a boat injury. But on Wednesday, the duo were released back into the wild at Koreshan State Park.

Wildlife volunteers rolled back their sleeves on Wednesday to haul two manatees back home.

"It's really alot of arm work, you gotta lift with the legs," FWC Manatee Biologist Amy Rhoads said.

1,200 pound mother manatee Pina and her 400 pound calf Colada were rescued back in April, after Colada suffered what could have been a deadly injury. She was struck by a boat, the blunt impact breaking her rib and puncturing her lung.

"With that type of injury, it's air that's leaked into a chest with a broken rib. The animal can't dive down to either nurse from or get down to eat grass. So it's a serious injury that needs to be treated," said Denise Boyd of FWC's Manatee Program.

One-year old Colada was retrieved by FWC and transported to Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo for three months of rehabilitation. Mother Pina made the trip, too.

"It was very important for us to bring mom in, maintain that bond, have mom nurse her, raise her, so they could go back out into the wild and continue on just as if nothing had ever happened," Lowry Park Zookeeper Jennifer Blank said.

The mother-daughter recovery was capped off with a flawless finish. The seacows swam peacefully back into the Southwest Florida waters they call home.

"Everytime we release a manatee, it's a new and exciting experience. It never gets old. It just really reinforces that we can really fix the problems that we create and change it and make it better," Blank said.

Zoologists ask boaters to use caution while taking to waters cohabited by manatees. FWC reports 34 manatee deaths in Lee County alone so far this year.