On July 21, 1948, Snooty became the first manatee to be born in captivity and recently celebrated his 69th birthday. Sadly, he won’t see the big 7-0 thanks to an unfortunate accident at the Parker Manatee Aquarium.
According to Smithsonian:
…Snooty was found in a section of the aquarium that houses the plumbing and life support systems that is usually off-limits to the animals. It appears that an access panel that is normally bolted closed came loose and Snooty squeezed his way into the compartment. While the younger, slimmer manatees in the aquarium were able to swim in and out of the hatch, as Bill Chappel at NPR reports, 1,300 pound Snooty likely pushed himself through the access panel and was unable to turn around. When he couldn’t surface for air, he eventually drowned.
Here’s a look at Snooty’s big birthday celebration.
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