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An ultra rare orange lobster was saved from becoming someone’s dinner after being rescued from a New York Stop & Shop.
“Clementine” – as she’s now affectionately known – arrived on Long Island at a Stop & Shop store in Southampton with a shipment of traditional brown lobsters sometime before Thursday, July 4.
Her 1-in-30-million amber glow made her an instant celebrity at the store, where she was fed shrimp by management and given the name “Pinky” by the manager’s daughter, according to Humane Long Island.
When the store’s offer to have Clementine pardoned by the Long Island Aquarium was turned down, it seemed that she was all but destined for that boiling pot.
Fortunately for her, staffers at Southampton Animal Shelter Foundation learned of her plight and contacted Humane Long Island, who in turn reached out to store management.
The store agreed to donate the rare lobster for rehabilitation. After a quick trip in a cold saltwater tank, Clementine was released into the ocean.
“Within hours, Clementine was swimming, foraging, and exploring the Long Island Sound, playfully following us around before disappearing into the ocean depths where she’ll travel as far as 100 miles or more each year,” the animal advocacy group said on Facebook.
As a show of appreciation, Humane Long Island sent Stop & Shop management a gift basket of lobster-shaped vegan chocolates and crabless vegan cakes, along with PETA’s vegan starter kit.
Click here to watch video of Clementine's release into Long Island Sound.
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