Snooty the manatee gets new tank-mate

A young manatee is the new tank-mate of the beloved Snooty.

Charlie arrived at the South Florida Museum Tuesday from the Miami Seaquarium, where workers kept the young manatee alive after his mother died in a boating accident.

"He was basically an orphan from day one," said Jodi Linvill with the Miami Seaquarium. "[We] got him eating and got him on food, and now he is here at the South Florida Museum."

Once workers got him into the museum, handlers hoisted Charlie into a holding tank.

After he got used to the water, he joined Snooty and another tank-mate, Brandee, in his temporary home.

Charlie will now spend time in the Parker Manatee Aquarium at the South Florida Museum as part of his rehabilitation process.

"They tend to do better with other animals, especially, like, when we have babies and they can learn from them," Linvill said. "They're very tactile. They can rub on each other, so it is important that they're with other animals."

While Charlie is at the aquarium, scientists can keep an eye on him to make sure he grows enough to someday return to the wild.

Until then, he'll spend time with both Brandee and the beloved Snooty.