An incredibly rare orange lobster was rescued from a Southampton supermarket and returned to the wild on Tuesday, thanks to a collaborative effort by the Southampton Animal Shelter and Humane Long Island.
Clementine, as the lobster was named, is a 1-in-30-million find due to an uncommon genetic mutation, according to Markus Frederich, professor of marine science at the University of New England.
The crustacean reportedly arrived at the Stop & Shop on Long Island as part of a routine shipment of lobsters before July 4, and immediately became a local sensation, reported Patch.
“Everyone was giving suggestions, but nothing was really being done, so I went there myself,” Tracy McLaren, a trap-and-release specialist at the Southampton Animal Shelter, told the outlet.
Upon seeing Clementine in the tank, McLaren contacted various animal rescue organizations, eventually reaching out to John Di Leonardo of Humane Long Island.
Di Leonardo, an anthrozoologist and the executive director of the organization, quickly coordinated with Stop & Shop management, who agreed to donate Clementine for rehabilitation and release.
“Within 45 minutes, John (Di Leonardo) had the surrender papers,” McLaren added.
Di Leonardo expressed his hope that Clementine’s story would inspire others to reconsider the fate of lobsters and other sea creatures.
“We urge everyone to celebrate Clementine’s successful journey back to the wild by respecting all lobsters and not eating them, because no compassionate person should boil an animal alive.” he said.
