A super rare orange lobsters has been rescued and returned to the ocean in the US – before becoming a meal.
The massive, orange crustacean was rescued by an animal advocacy group from a supermarket in Long Island, New York.
Named Clementine, the creature is said to be 1-in-30-million.
She was destined to become a dinner, but intervention by the Southampton Animal Shelter and the Humane Long Island meant its life can carry on under the waves.
Clementine was first spotted by staff at the Stop & Shop where the workers noticed its unusual colour a month ago, the NBC News reports.
In bid to rescue her themselves, the store reached out to an aquarium who declined before the animal shelter stepped in.
John Di Leonardo, president and executive director of Human Long Island advocacy group, told the outlet: ‘We got ourselves a big saltwater tank to rehab her in, we brought her down to the ocean, and she immediately began foraging.
‘She was ready to go as soon as she saw the ocean.’
Clementine was finally released into the water on Tuesday after a short stint with the group.
If Clementine had not been rescued, she could have ended up being boiled ‘in someone’s pot.’
Di Leonardo said: ‘They all want to live natural lives in the wild.
‘They don’t want to boil in someone’s pot or stay in a cramped aquarium.’
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