Rare reptile which washed up in Anglesey flown back to Gulf of Mexico in epic 5,000-mile trip after two years in rehab

A RARE turtle that washed up on our shores is on a 5,000-mile trip home after a two-year rehab. Rhossi, a critically-endangered Kemp’s ridley sea turtle, was smeared in sex lubricant KY jelly and Vaseline to stop him drying out on the flight. Rhossi ahead of his 5,000-mile flight home to the US Credit: SWNS The homecoming reptile is unboxed in Houston ahead of his return to the Gulf of Mexico Credit: SWNS He safely arrived in Houston, US, after ten hours in the hold — and next Tuesday will be released into the Gulf of Mexico. Rhossi was “cold-stunned” — ­battling hypothermia — and close to death when found by a dog and its owner in December 2023. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! Barely 25cm long and weighing less than 1kg, the tiny turtle was taken from Llydan Beach, near Rhosneigr, to Anglesey Sea Zoo. He has since grown to 21kg (3st, 4lbs) ahead of his trip home. The zoo’s owner Frankie Hobro said: “We’ve had to slather Rhossi in KY jelly and vaseline to try and stop him from dehydrating — which is always quite an amusing one going to buy that at the chemist! Rhossi on his journey home from the UK Credit: SWNS Enjoying a swim at Houston Zoo Credit: SWNS “But this is the moment we’ve been working towards every single day for more than two years, so it’s incredibly emotional. “Rhossi arrived with us fighting for life, and now we’re preparing to watch him make the journey home where he belongs.” So far, Rhossi’s journey has seen him travel via helicopter from Anglesey to Heathrow then by cargo flight to Houston. He will be put in a large tank provided by Houston Zoo then taken south to be released into the warm waters near Texas’s Padre Island. Frankie added: “We’re doing loads of tests on him now. Blood tests and all the medical stuff like his weight and strength, to make sure he’s good to have a satellite tracker fitted, which we’re hoping will go really smoothly. Most read in The Sun Rhossi was smeared in sex lubricant KY jelly and Vaseline to stop him drying out on the flight Credit: SWNS “This will take a couple of days to turn around before we head to Padre Island, where we know there is a really healthy breeding population of Kemp’s ridley sea turtles that are at the tail end of their breeding season. “They’ve managed to re-establish the species there, and we are pretty sure that’s where Rhossi’s originated from as a hatchling. “It’s wonderful as we’re having all these people there for the release — everyone that has been involved in his transfer from the US. He’s a big lad so I’ll need someone to help me carry him into the sea!” Rhossi is the fourth cold-stunned sea turtle rescued and rehabilitated by Anglesey Sea Zoo over the past decade, representing three different endangered species. Each turtle was first discovered by a dog. The turtle being weighed ahead of boarding his flight home Credit: SWNS Home sweet home for Rhossi Credit: SWNS Conservationists have said juvenile turtles are occasionally carried across the Atlantic by currents before becoming cold-stunned in northern European waters in winter. The only two remaining nesting beaches for Kemp’s ridley sea ­turtles are in Mexico and Texas. Comment now