Snooty facts for kids
Snooty at his 65th birthday in 2013, being presented a cake made of fruits and vegetables
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| Other name(s) | Baby, Baby Snoots |
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| Species | West Indian manatee |
| Sex | Male |
| Born | July 21, 1948 Miami, Florida, US |
| Died | July 23, 2017 (aged 69) South Florida Museum, Bradenton, Florida, US |
| Occupation | Mascot of Bradenton |
| Known for | Oldest manatee in captivity |
Snooty (July 21, 1948 – July 23, 2017) was a famous male Florida manatee. He lived at the Parker Manatee Aquarium, which is part of the Bishop Museum of Science and Nature in Bradenton, Florida. Snooty was one of the first manatees ever born in captivity. He lived to be 69 years old, making him the oldest manatee in captivity. He might even have been the oldest manatee in the entire world! Because humans raised him from birth, Snooty never lived in the wild. He was the only manatee at the aquarium who regularly interacted with people.
Snooty's Amazing Life
In 1948, a man named Samuel J. Stout owned a female manatee named Lady. She lived at his Miami Aquarium and Tackle Company. On July 21, 1948, Lady gave birth to a baby boy manatee. Stout named the new calf "Baby." However, his permit only allowed him to keep one manatee. So, he needed to find a new home for Baby.
Around the same time, the city of Bradenton wanted a manatee for their 1949 De Soto Heritage Festival. They heard about Baby's birth in Miami. A festival member got a special permit for a manatee display. The city built a tank on their pier. Stout brought Baby from Miami to Bradenton for the festival.
After the festival, Stout took Baby back to Miami. But he still could only legally keep one manatee. In April 1949, plans were made for Baby to live permanently in Bradenton. He would move to the South Florida Museum. A new, round tank was finished for Baby in May.
Baby moved into his new tank on June 20, 1949. It was late at night when Stout arrived in Bradenton. He needed help from the sheriff and some prisoners to move Baby into his new home. The manatee was called "Baby" until November 1949. Then, he became known as "Baby Snoots." As he grew older, people simply called him "Snooty."
In 1966, the South Florida Museum moved to a new location. A much larger pool was built for Snooty there. He also became the official mascot for Manatee County, Florida. In 1993, the museum was updated. Snooty moved to an even bigger pool. This pool was renovated again in 1998. This allowed the museum to care for Snooty and two other manatees. These other manatees were there for rehabilitation before being released. Since 1998, the Parker Manatee Aquarium has helped rehabilitate 25 manatees.
Snooty's Passing
On July 23, 2017, Snooty passed away. This was just two days after his 69th birthday. He died because he got stuck in an area where he could not reach the surface to breathe. A hatch door that was usually closed was open. This allowed the manatees to go into a restricted plumbing area. The younger, smaller manatees could get in and out easily. But Snooty was too big to return through the hatch.
An investigation was done to find out how the hatch opened. The museum released a report. It said Snooty's death could have been prevented. They found that some rules and procedures were not followed. The museum then made plans to fix these issues.
Snooty's Special Skills
Scientists discovered that Snooty could remember the voices of his old keepers. He also remembered training behaviors he learned when he was only one year old!
Snooty also helped with research at the Mote Marine Laboratory. In a 2006 study, Snooty and other manatees showed they could do tasks like dolphins. This study helped prove that manatees are intelligent animals.
Snooty's birthday was a very popular event at the South Florida Museum. The best part was when he received a special cake. It was made of vegetables and fruits! All the visitors would sing "Happy Birthday" to him. Because we knew his exact birth date, Snooty helped show how long manatees can live.
Images for kids
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Snooty at his 65th birthday in 2013, being presented a cake made of fruits and vegetables
