Rare turtle found in Wales 4,000 miles from home

One of the world's rarest turtles has washed up on a Welsh beach more than 4,000 miles from home.

It's the second Kemp's ridley turtle that has been taken into the care of Anglesey Sea Zoo since 2021.

And staff are hoping to nurse it back to health after it was found on Tuesday by a dog called Meg while walking with her owner on nearby Rhosneigr beach.

In September, Tally, another Kemp's ridley turtle found mainly in the Gulf of Mexico, was flown to Texas to be released back into the warmer seas.

It was rehabilitated after washing up on Talacre beach, Flintshire, in 2021.

The zoo said there have been about 30 juvenile Kemp's ridley turtles washed up in the British Isles, but only five have been rehabilitated and re-released.

The species was reduced to just a few hundred nesting females at one site in Mexico in the 1980s, prompting conservation efforts including setting up a second site in Texas.

"Despite these ongoing conservation efforts there are still only around 8,000 breeding females in the world today, making every individual extremely precious," said the zoo.

Rhossi, which is too young to be able to determine its sex, needs rehydration and its ambient temperature raising slowly so staff are monitoring it around the clock.

The zoo rehabilitated Menai, an Olive ridley turtle who washed up in November 2016 after stranding off Menai Strait - between Anglesey and the mainland - before flying it to Spain’s Gran Canaria to be released in June 2017.

Meanwhile, Tonni, a little loggerhead turtle who washed up in January, is awaiting a return to the Canary Islands for release into the sea.

Staff believe Rhossi lost its way while in warmer seas "probably due to the strong winds" although sea turtles are known to travel vast distances.

Sea zoo owner Frankie Hobro said all four of the turtles it has rescued were discovered by dogs during walks on Welsh beaches.

"We are urging dog walkers to please keep an eye out for stranded tropical turtles, particularly during the winter months, on the strandline amongst seaweed," she said.

Ms Hobro said she hoped Rhossi will recover and be "re-released back into the wild in the Gulf of Mexico to contribute to the ongoing survival of its species".

The zoo has just set up a £50,000 appeal to create a dedicated turtle rescue centre for UK strandings.