What do you give 1,300 pounds of gorgeous manatee for his 69th birthday? You throw him a festival!
- Snooty's 69th Birthday Bash Saturday, July 22
- Festival runs 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Museum offering discounted admission 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
- Take this quick quiz on the birthday manatee Snooty
Snooty the Manatee’s home --The South Florida Museum in Bradenton--will be host to the Saturday, July 22nd celebration of animal conservancy.
The staff of the museum assert that Snooty is already a symbol for that cause.
"He certainly been an ambassador for threatened and endangered species for quite a while," said Marilyn Margold, Director of Living Collections at the museum.
Snooty was captive-born in 1948, before laws were passed to protect marine mammals. While he can never go into the wild, he helps injured manatees so they can return.
In fact, he is currently bunking with three other younger and smaller manatees in recovery.
"He serves as a mentor that we bring into rehabilitation, so he's really just a great steward for the environment as a well,” said Margold.
Manatees are fortunate to live into their teens in the wild. At 69, Snooty is the oldest known manatee living in captivity in the entire world.
With results of a recent bi-annual medical check-up coming up positive, it appears he's going to stick around for a good while longer, too.
"So far he's status quo," said Margold. "He's a healthy 69-year-old manatee."
"We meet again." Snooty the Manatee with Bay News 9 intern Christine Forbes. (Photo: Bobby Collins, staff)
We came into this story with a question perhaps as important as Snooty's birthday party and general health: would Snooty remember Bay News 9 intern Christine Forbes? After all, he loved her at their last meeting in 2016.
"He has a pretty good memory, especially for voices," explained Margold.
And once he heard Christine—he leaned right toward her.
“It didn't take too long to figure it out, but it looked like he keyed in on her," said Margold, laughing.
Snooty’s 69th Birthday Bash and Wildlife Festival takes place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. outdoors in the museum plaza. Visitors during the festival can learn more about wildlife conservancy groups and community groups who will be on hand.
The museum is offering discounted admission during their hours from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.