A turtle drifted 5,000 km from America's coast to UK. A dog's discovery in 2023 helped save one of the world's rarest sea turtles

In a remarkable story of rescue and resilience, a Kemp’s ridley sea turtle, found almost dead on a Welsh beach in 2023, is now on the road to recovery, all thanks to a local dog who saved his life. According to reports, the turtle, named Rhossi, is native to the Gulf of Mexico. The 40year-old reptile was flown to the Houston zoo, where a team of veterinary experts is now treating him. Medical examinations and scans showed that Rhossi has been grappling with pneumonia.

Dog discovers turtle thousands of miles away

As per a blog post by Anglesey Sea Zoo in Wales, Rhossi was discovered by a local dog on a beach in a Welsh village in December 2023. The reptile was reportedly swept away about 5,000 miles (8,000km) from the Gulf of Mexico region where Kemp’s ridley sea turtles are usually found. A cold-stunned Rhossi, who travelled vast distances, navigating through powerful marine currents in the Atlantic Ocean, weighed 2lb (0.9kg) at that time.

Soon after, a team from the Anglesey Sea Zoo took Rhossi under their care, and they spent 2 years nursing the reptile back to health. Rhossi’s frame slowly tripled, with the creature bulking up to 46lb (21kg). After years of care, he took a helicopter ride from Wales to London’s Heathrow Airport before making a transatlantic flight to Houston on August 10.

Rhossi undergoes treatment before returning home

After an initial evaluation, Rhossi’s caretakers put him in a deep-water tank to let him become acclimated to his new surroundings. A more comprehensive medical examination was performed by Dr Joe Flanagan, a senior veterinarian at the Houston zoo. Rhossi had his eyes, mouth, shell, flippers, and organ function checked. He also underwent X-rays and CT scans for a closer look at his lungs.

During the examination, the zoo facilities revealed that Rhossi was ‘healthy, active and vigorous’. ‘He’s very strong. He swims normally. He dives. He surfaces. He breathes fine,' Flanagan said in a Reuters video report. After he completely recovers from the ‘lingering pneumonia’, Rhossi would be sent back to the Gulf of Mexico.

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Final takeaway

Anglesey Sea Zoo director Frankie Hobro expressed optimism about Rhossi’s recovery, saying he could potentially become fit for breeding in the wild within a few years. The Houston zoo is now focused on giving him the best possible chance of returning to the Gulf of Mexico. Kemp’s ridley turtles have been classified as endangered in the US since 1970, with threats including egg collection and hunting for meat contributing to their decline.