West Indian Manatee (Papo - Wildlife - 2019)

Walkaround of the West Indian manatee, Trichechus manatus Linnaeus, 1758 by Papo,Wildlife, new this year for 2019.

When I started my Synoptic Collection, this figure had just been announced. I was trying to decide if I wanted this one, or the CollectA figure, but since this one came out early enough, I gave it a chance.

The figure is 14.0 cm, making it 1:19-1:25 in scale.

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Alongside the CollectA dugong; both figures are about the same length.

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great figurine! you are lucky, I did'nt see any 2019 release Papo except the kingfisher yet!..

Interesting figur :)

I was expecting for a walk around of this manatee and you did it! I am also not sure about which manatee to get once the pose of the CollectA is better for display while the Papo looks much more detailed. At least all wrincles and details look more conspicuous. I'll maybe favour Papo's.
For those interested, Here is a [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] on forum. :)

I agree with Roger, asides the fact that I think there are too many wrinkles, at least the animals I've seen didn't had that lot. Anyways, thanks for the pictures and congratulations!

Great to see this new manatee !!!

Thankyou, Blaine

arafan wrote:

I agree with Roger, asides the fact that I think there are too many wrinkles, at least the animals I've seen didn't had that lot. Anyways, thanks for the pictures and congratulations!

That's a fact and a tendency through these last years. Figures are heavily textured or with their details too conspicuous. It is often quite positive to contribute to the level of detail of the figures but, sometimes, it is somewhat exagerated as it seems to be the case here.

His brother will be on my shelves very soon,it is forme the most exciting manatee in production.

Thank you for the excellent walkaround

much better than the CollectA one

How does the Papo 2019 Manatee compare with the Schleich 2020 one?
Which one is more accurate?
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I think the new Schleich manatee is favoured among the majority of the collectors. The level of detail of the Papo figure with all those wrincles is quite impressive but considered exaggerated giving to it a kind of Shar Pei look. Basically, there is some controversy around the Papo model, as usual with the brand, some love and some hate while the Schleich model is relatively consensual.

Question accuracy, I think both are equal. What we collect are subjective interpretations, not real animals. For me the difference between the two is a question of taste, of palatability, as for cheeses or dishes, we can prefer things spicier or sweeter, there is no absolute truth.
I own the Papo, it came out first, but I know that sooner or later I will add the Schleich. Both look great to me
If you have to buy just one, listen to your heart and your desires and you won't be disappointed.
If you are a bit patient, I will make a comparison topic as soon as the Schleich arrives 

Kikimalou wrote:

Question accuracy, I think both are equal. What we collect are subjective interpretations, not real animals. For me the difference between the two is a question of taste, of palatability, as for cheeses or dishes, we can prefer things spicier or sweeter, there is no absolute truth.
I own the Papo, it came out first, but I know that sooner or later I will add the Schleich. Both look great to me
If you have to buy just one, listen to your heart and your desires and you won't be disappointed.
If you are a bit patient, I will make a comparison topic as soon as the Schleich arrives 

That is some good advice for choosing a preferred figure, in the end it all boils down to personal preferences. Looking forward to your comparisons of the two! Hopefully I will have enough patience to hold out on purchasing a Manatee model in the meantime!

Based on what I've seen so far, the Papo one is definitely over textured, as per Papo fashion. Too many deep wrinkles & folds in the sculpt, gives the impression of a scarred individual that has suffered from multiple boat propeller injuries. The Schleich one captures the gentle aspect of the animal better, but seems to fall behind on facial detail (extremely low number of hair pits) and anatomy:
- might be too rounded? Especially the lip area, which is noticeably more angled and flattened on the real animal to accommodate a grazing lifestyle
- the middle "lobe" seems to be lost in the sculpt, a feature that is more greatly emphasised in the Papo version.
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I hope more companies remake their manatees. Both the Safari and CollectA sculpts are very very old and could definitely use an update. Maybe CollectA will even brave an Amazonian Manatee to stand out from the crowd? Their black and white coloration is highly distinctive.

And since Safari ltd is based in Florida, maybe they will produce a highly accurate Floridian manatee to compete with Papo & Schleich, in a similar fashion to how they remade their American Alligator. After all, these gentle giants are floating in their Florida backyards! Perfect reference material!
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Yeah, I don't think 'accuracy' is really a question here. It just depends on what your preferences are and what you gravitate towards. Pic either; you can't go wrong.

I think the new Schleich one probably looks best but I personally have the CollectA ones because I liked that they made 2 calves to go with the adult