A rare orange lobster has returned home to the ocean after it was discovered in a New York grocery store and almost became someone's dinner.
It all started last month when workers at a Stop & Shop in Southampton, New York, found an orange lobster believed to have a one in 30 million chance of ever appearing in the wild. Named Clementine, she was given a second chance at life after store employees visited the Long Island Aquarium in hopes of saving her life.
According to NBC Newsthe aquarium did not accept the lobster. That prompted the animal rights group Humane Long Island to take action.
“We got ourselves a big saltwater tank to rehabilitate him, brought him down to the ocean, and he started feeding right away,” said John Di Leonardo, president and executive director of Humane Long Island. NBC News. “He was ready to go as soon as he saw the ocean.”
On August 27, Clementine was returned to the sea with the help of Humane Long Island. “They all want to live a natural life in the wild,” explained Di Leonardo. “They don't want to boil in someone's pot or stay in a narrow aquarium.”
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Another orange lobster discovered earlier this year also avoided consumption. A Red Lobster worker in Colorado found the crab, later named Crush. It currently resides at the Downtown Aquarium in Denver.
Related: Colorado Red Lobster restaurant discovers rare orange lobster
If you spot an unusually colored lobster in the wild, it's probably best to admire the rare beauty from afar.