World’s oldest manatee enters Guinness World Records 2017 Edition

  

Born on 21 July 1948, Snooty is currently 67 years old and lives at the South Florida Museum in Bradenton, Florida, USA, where he was first brought in 1949 when he was just a calf.

 He lives in a 60,000-US-gal (230,000-litre) pool with two other manatees.

Snooty’s longevity owes much to the fact that he lives in a controlled environment.

 

 

In the wild, factors such as algal blooms, boat strikes and fishing debris see most manatees die before they reach the age of 10.

 In terms of age, according to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission which monitors manatee populations and performs routine necropsies/post-mortems, the oldest aged wild Florida manatee was 59 years old – with the next oldest having reached 48 years of age.

Over time, tame Snooty has bonded with visitors and staff at the South Florida Museum. As communications manager Jessica Schubick puts it: "He's definitely more interested in people than other manatees. He doesn't really seem to form bonds with other manatees, but doesn't seem to mind them. He really likes people."

 

When Snooty turned 67th in July 2015, fans from all over the world inundated the popular marine mammal with birthday cards to congratulate him and the museum on his incredible age.

 

Snooty appears in the new Guinness World Records 2017 Edition book alongside hundreds of other amazing record-breaking animals.