Northward ho! Climate change has tropical plants and animals on the move

Why cold snaps matter in climate change A new report highlights the impact cold snaps have on migrating tropical plants and animals. Dan Riskin reports.

TORONTO — In 2009, a wayward manatee made headlines after it somehow ended up off the coasts of such unusual places as New Jersey and Cape Cod.

Ilya, as the manatee was dubbed, became the focus of a major rescue effort. Had the animal not been airlifted back to Florida, it would have surely froze to death once winter hit and the water cooled.

While Ilya's journey was an aberration, it's become less of one in the ensuing decade.

In this week's Riskin Report, CTV News Science and Technology Specialist Dan Riskin explains why American alligators, Joshua trees and other tropical species are increasingly making their way north.

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