Protest is not the way to honor Snooty’s memory, museum says
The South Florida Museum was closed Monday when Florida Voices for Animals announced a Saturday “Justice for Snooty” protest at the museum. On Tuesday, museum officials responded.
In a prepared statement released by Communications Manager Jessica Schubick, museum officials say they remain committed to finding out how a plumbing access panel became dislodged, allowing Snooty to swim through the opening and drown sometime during the night of July 22-23.
“No one is more committed to the well being of manatees cared for at the South Florida Museum than our team members. When Snooty the manatee tragically died in the aquarium on July 23, leaders of the museum’s board of trustees and the CEO quickly endorsed, and are closely monitoring, a thorough review process, including outside experts, to collect all the facts around Snooty’s death,” the release states.
Without facts, it is not appropriate to speculate or make any allegations. When the review is complete and action steps are determined, the museum is committed to sharing the information publicly.
South Florida Musuem statement
Denise Anderson, of Florida Voices for Animals, accused museum officials of negligence and called for the resignation of CEO Brynne Anne Besio and Provost and COO Jeff Rodgers, as a start.
“Without facts, it is not appropriate to speculate or make any allegations,” the museum statement reads. “When the review is complete and action steps are determined, the museum is committed to sharing the information publicly.”
Museum officials say that Saturday’s planned protest “is not honoring Snooty or the significance of his life as an ambassador for his species. Snooty touched the lives of our staff, guests and the public for more than 68 years, as well as the lives of 33 rehabilitated manatees at the museum and countless other manatees positively impacted by the awareness he raised for the species, and for that we are grateful.”
Saturday’s protest is planned to begin at 1 p.m. and Anderson made it clear that the event is no memorial, but a call to action. The animal rights group is collecting photos from aquarium visitors and trying to create a timeline of how long the access panel may have appeared to be loose.
“I will not stop until the negligent museum employees are fired,” Anderson said. “I loved Snooty so much and it breaks my heart the way that he died. ... I also thought he would die from old age, not so.”
Mark Young: 941-745-7041, @urbanmark2014
This story was originally published August 1, 2017 at 3:26 PM with the headline "Protest is not the way to honor Snooty’s memory, museum says."