Snooty the manatee's death prompts outpouring of support, petition to move Confederate monument

BRADENTON — The South Florida Museum aquarium remains closed Monday and tributes continue to pour in following the shocking death of Snooty, the beloved manatee who captured the hearts of generations.

Social media lit up with tributes and an online petition is urging Manatee County legislators to replace a Confederate monument with a statue honoring Snooty, the oldest known manatee in captivity who was found dead Sunday morning having just celebrated his 69th birthday on Friday.

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Museum officials say Snooty was stuck underwater in an area used to access plumbing after a hatch blocking off the area had come loose. An investigation into Snooty's death is ongoing.

Support for Snooty flooded the internet in the wake of his death.

On the museum's Facebook page, thousands of commenters wrote messages of memories and love for the manatee.

"Visiting him was one of my favorite memories as a child," Ashley Moore said. "Snooty you are loved and will truly be missed."

"I am beyond heartbroken over this," Crystal Dailey commented. "...he was my oldest inspirational mentor and childhood friend."

"Heartbroken over the end of an era," Deborah Parish Willard wrote. "My mother, myself and my children all were fortunate to see Snooty many, many times over more then 30 years."

Hours after Snooty's death, Anthony Pusateri, of Sarasota, launched a petition on Change.org to replace a confederate monument with a statue of Snooty.

Pusateri wrote that the confederate statue stands "directly in front of the old courthouse just blocks away from the aquarium where Snooty resided."

The petition reached its goal of 1,000 signatures as of Monday morning at 10:30 a.m. and will be delivered to Manatee Mayor Wayne Poston and the Manatee County Commission.