Snooty, who was born July 21, 1948, at the old Miami Aquarium, is believed to have been the first manatee born in captivity.

Like many middle-age people, he's been fighting the battle of the bulge, so rather than birthday cake, he will likely get just an extra head of cabbage to celebrate.

Marilyn Margold of Parker Manatee Aquarium in Braden ton said Snooty once reached a top weight of 1,380 pounds, prompting workers to introduce him to a new diet heavy on strawberries and pineapples, The Sarasota (Fla.) Herald Tribune reported Saturday. The diet is beginning to work and the 9-foot-4 animal now weighs 1,260 pounds.

Margold is concerned that introducing some human concepts could be dangerous to Snooty.

"With an endangered species, in particular, I don't think it's healthy," she said of human-based activities such as dieting or birthday cake. "You lose respect for them in the wild."

The newspaper said a life in captivity may have given Snooty weight issues, but it has allowed the manatee to survive roughly 10 times longer than any of its wild brethren.