Turtle Rescued from the Brink of Death Returns Home

Rosie, a rare sea turtle found on the coast of Wales, is being returned to her true homeland—Mexico. Her journey home, spanning nearly 5,000 miles (over 8,000 kilometers), is being carried out with special preparations by experts.

Rosie belongs to the species Kemp's ridley, which is one of the rarest sea turtles in the world. She was found in December 2023 on the beach of Anglesey, Wales, by a dog named Meg. At that time, the turtle was not even two years old and was in critical condition.

Experts determined that she had entered a state of "cold-stunning" due to remaining in cold water for too long. Staff at the Anglesey Sea Zoo treated and cared for Rosie for nearly two and a half years. During this time, she grew three times larger, going from weighing less than 1 kilogram to 21 kilograms.

A special temperature-controlled box has now been prepared to accompany Rosie on her long journey. She will first be taken by helicopter from Anglesey to London, and then delivered via cargo plane to Houston, USA.

Throughout the journey, specialists will pay special attention to preventing the turtle from dehydrating. Special moisturizers will be used to keep her shell and delicate skin from drying out. In particular, her eyes will also need to be regularly moistened.

Frankie Hobro, director of the Anglesey Sea Zoo, noted that cold-stunned sea turtles almost never survive without expert help. Therefore, Rosie's recovery and return to her natural habitat is a very touching event for the team.

Rosie was named after the beach where she was found. Experts assume that she may have drifted away from warm waters due to strong winds and ended up on the coast of Wales.

The Kemp's ridley is considered the rarest sea turtle in the world. They mainly use two beaches in Mexico and areas in Texas, USA, to lay their eggs.

Zoo staff hope that Rosie's return to the wild will be a small yet important step toward preserving this rare species. She will be the fourth sea turtle rescued and rehabilitated by the zoo in the last ten years.

Currently, experts are also developing plans to establish a special center to rescue other sea turtles suffering from the cold off the coast of Wales.