Rhossi the rare turtle flies 5,000 miles back to Gulf of Mexico — SkimNews
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- Rhossi, a Kemp's ridley sea turtle found near death on a beach near Rhosneigr, Anglesey in December 2023 by a dog named Meg, is being flown 5,000 miles via helicopter to London then a cargo flight to Houston, Texas.
- Anglesey Sea Zoo staff nursed Rhossi back to health over two-and-a-half years; he tripled in size from under 1kg to 21kg after being found in a state conservationists call "cold-stunned" from far cooler water than his normal habitat.
- Curator Matt Davidson said staff coat Rhossi's shell in Vaseline and his eyes — both before the crate and again before takeoff — in KY Jelly to prevent peeling and dehydration during the out-of-water journey.
- Kemp's ridley sea turtles are the world's rarest, nesting on only two beaches in Mexico and Texas; zoo owner Frankie Hobro called Rhossi's release "incredibly emotional" and said it represents more than two years of coordinated planning across two countries.
- Rhossi is the fourth sea turtle rescued and rehabilitated by Anglesey Sea Zoo in the past decade; staff are now planning a dedicated turtle rescue centre to treat cold-stunned turtles found along the Welsh coast.
Why it matters: Kemp's ridleys nest on only two beaches in Mexico and Texas, making every successfully rehabilitated individual a small but tangible contribution to the survival of the world's rarest sea turtle. The Anglesey Sea Zoo's fourth rescue in a decade — requiring a custom temperature-controlled crate, cross-border paperwork, and creative lubrication logistics — signals growing UK capacity to respond to stranded cold-stunned turtles and prompted plans for a permanent rescue facility on the Welsh coast.
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