It is no wonder that Donna enthusiastically contracted to make a Mascot costume of Snooty, the Manatee. Working with artist, Wade Smith, she created and interactive costume to fit an adult human inside, complete with cooling system and movable arms and mouth.
Snooty, is one of the first recorded captive manatees. At age 67 he is the oldest manatee in captivity, and likely the oldest manatee in the world. He resides at the South Florida Museum’s Parker Manatee Aquarium in Bradenton, Florida. Snooty cannot be released into the wild and is the only manatee at the museum’s aquarium that has regular human interaction. It has been discovered that Snooty is able to remember the voices of former keepers and remember training behaviors he learned when only one year old.
“When I met Snooty for the first time, I fell in love. What a magnificent, intelligent, loving creature. Getting to know him allowed me to create an image of him that was adorable, but dignified. One of the best projects!”
Donna Riggs
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