Snooty, the world’s oldest known manatee, died on Sunday at his Florida home, a day after celebrating his 69th birthday. In a statement, South Florida Museum chief executive Brynne Anne Besio said Snooty’s death appeared to be “a heartbreaking accident” and added that staff were “devastated”. Photograph: South Florida MuseumManatees, sometimes known as sea cows, are large aquatic air-breathing herbivores closely related to elephants. Snooty was on record as the oldest manatee in captivity, having spent 68 of his 69 years at the South Florida Museum. He was believed to be the oldest manatee in the world.

Source: The Guardian July 23, 2017 19:52 UTC