Welsh zoo prepares transatlantic flight for rescued Kemp's ridley turtle

Rhosneigr-found Kemp's ridley turtle Rhossi survived a cold-stun incident in December 2023 and spent two and a half years recovering at the Anglesey Sea Zoo, where he grew from under 1 kg to 21 kg. After extensive planning, staff will transport him by helicopter to London, then on a cargo plane to Houston, Texas, covering roughly 5,000 miles across the Atlantic. To prevent dehydration, his shell and delicate skin are coated with Vaseline and his eyes with KY Jelly before being placed in a custom temperature-controlled crate.

Curator Matt Davidson explained the unusual use of the lubricant, while zoo owner Frankie Hobro highlighted the emotional difficulty of releasing the animal back into the wild. The effort aims to return Rhossi to the Gulf of Mexico, one of only two nesting regions for the world’s rarest sea turtle species.