A meandering West Indian manatee has made its way to the Corpus Christi area.

Experts on Tuesday monitored the creature in a canal area near the JFK Causeway.

Tony Amos with Animal Rehabilitation Keep, known as ARK, told the Associated Press that an endangered manatee in the area is a "rarity."

Amos, who's also a research fellow affiliated with the University of Texas, says manatees often migrate to warm waters while looking for food.

He says the last time a manatee was seen in the Corpus Christi area was January 2007. Amos says that animal was rescued and trucked to Florida for release.

Amos says the current animal, spotted Monday by nearby residents, is up to 8 feet long and weighs about 1,000 pounds. The manatee's sex was not immediately known.