Petition started to have Confederate monument replaced with statue of Snooty the manatee

MANATEE COUNTY, FLORIDA — A Change.org petition has been started, calling for a statue of Snooty the manatee to replace a Confederate statue outside of  the old courthouse in Bradenton, Florida.

The world's oldest manatee in captivity died this week at the age of 69 in what the South Florida Museum calls a 'heartbreaking accident.'  

(PETITION)

The petitioner, Anthony Pusateri, writes:

“To honor Snooty's legacy as a positive icon in Bradenton, I propose that the negative symbol of racism and oppression that is the Confederate monument be relocated and replaced with a statue of Snooty the Manatee. By doing so, the Confederate monument could possibly be moved to a museum (or other more appropriate location) out of everyday public eye and a more positive symbol then take its place.”

Snooty’s death has been hard on his fans. This man was brought to tears after hearing that the beloved manatee died after swimming into an underwater plumbing area on Sunday and couldn’t get out. (His death is currently under investigation.)

(tweet) 

"I was coming down here to celebrate his... 69th birthday with him, and... we did. But ... I'm sorry, I won't be here for his... he won't be here for his 70th birthday."

Snooty was born in Miami in 1948 and lived out his years at the South Florida Museum’s aquarium.