There is a push to erect a statue of Snooty the manatee to replace a Confederate monument in Manatee County, but it's meeting resistance.
- Petition formed to replace Confederate monument with Snooty memorial
- Save Southern Heritage says don't move Confederate monument
- Snooty the manatee died last month at 69
The Florida branch of Save Southern Heritage said Thursday it supports a Snooty statue but not at the Confederate monument site.
Bay News 9 partner The Bradenton Herald reported Thursday that a petition to replace the Confederate monument with a Snooty memorial has received almost 13,000 signatures.
The group's petition isn't official but rather a symbol of supporting the action, according to the report.
Snooty drowned last month after getting caught in a maintenance tube at a Bradenton museum. The museum had just celebrated Snooty's 69th birthday.
David McCallister, spokesman for the Florida branch of Save Southern Heritage, said the group recognizes Snooty's place in Florida history but is urging officials not to remove the Confederate monument.
"We all loved Snooty," he said.