Review: Death Of 69-Year-Old Manatee Snooty Was Preventable

BRADENTON, Fla. (AP) — An outside review has determined that the drowning death of a 69-year-old captive manatee could have been prevented.
South Florida Museum CEO Brynne Anne Besio announced the findings Thursday after a review by animal welfare attorney James Gesualdi.
Snooty was found dead July 23, two days after his birthday. The large marine mammal had become trapped in a maintenance tube. The review found aquarium staff members were aware of the maintenance panel being loose or missing screws a week earlier, but an effective repair was never completed.
Museum spokeswoman Jessica Schubick confirmed that Marilyn Margold, the aquarium’s director when Snooty died, no longer works for the museum. A telephone message left for Margold wasn’t immediately returned.
The museum says Snooty was certified in 2015 as the longest-living manatee in captivity.
Get The 90.7 WMFE Newsletter
Your trusted news source for the latest Central Florida news, updates on special programs and more.
GET THE LATEST

WMFE Journalistic Ethics Code | Public Media Code of Integrity