​Help Needed For Snooty's 3 New Manatee Friends

BRADENTON, FL — Snooty, the world’s oldest known manatee, has three new friends sharing his habitat at the South Florida Museum. Randall, Gale and Baca arrived at the Bradenton museum’s Stage 2 Rehabilitation facility on Wednesday.

The three rescued manatees are now under the mentorship of Snooty, the Guinness World Record-setting critter. Snooty’s new companions are hoped to be temporary visitors. The museum said the ultimate goal is to help the three regain their health so that they may eventually be returned to the wild. Assistance, however, is needed to cover the cost of their care.

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Having three recovering manatees at one time is a bit more than the museum generally takes on, officials explained.

"Each year, we plan to provide food and care for two rehab animals, plus Snooty, as part of our work to save this endangered species from extinction," CEO Brynne Anne Besio said in a Wednesday statement. "It's an important mission, so when we were asked to care for a third manatee, we knew we had to help even though it requires an additional financial commitment."

The South Florida Museum is a member of the Manatee Rescue and Rehabilitation Partnership. The museum provides care for injured or sick manatees before they are returned to the wild. One of the main purposes the museum’s stage-two facility serves is to bridge “the gap between the intensive care needs that manatees have after initial rescue and their release,” the museum explained in an email to media.

The three newcomers are:

• Randall – He’s a 595-pound manatee that was rescued on Dec. 12, 2016, from a culvert near Palatka.
• Baca – This male manatee was found suffering from cold stress in Cocoa Beach’s Banana River on Jan. 9. He weighs in at 389 pounds, according to the museum.
• Gale – The only female in the trio was rescued as a calf along with her mother, Tsunami, on Dec. 29, 2016. The two were found in Crane Creek near Melbourne. Tsunami died due to severe injuries and cold stress shortly after her rescue, but Gale continues to thrive and now weighs 590 pounds.

Snooty, the museum’s resident celebrity, weighs in at 1,230 pounds. He celebrated his 68th birthday last July.

See also: Snooty Breaks World Record

When the museum takes in manatees, such as Baca, Gale and Randall, they typically stick around for about a year. While the museum dedicates funding to cover two rescues a year, a third does represent an additional expense. Museum officials anticipate the care for Randall alone will cost between $10,000 and $12,000. Because Randall is larger, it is hoped he’ll be ready for release in August.

"Members of the community have provided crucial support in the past that has allowed us to rehab and release 30 endangered manatees," Besio said. "We're hoping they'll join with us again now to help us care for Randall, Gale and Baca."

Folks who wish to help out with the cost of care may make donations via the museum’s website.

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Photo courtesy of the South Florida Museum