Employees at a Red Lobster in Manasses, VA recognized the unique coloring on a certain crustacean delivered to their restaurant and made the decision to call their support team before he became someone's dinner.
The orange and black freckled lobster, dubbed Freckles by employees, arrived with the restaurant's regular shipment of Maine lobster on April 25. Calicos are among the rarest lobsters on Earth: only albino and split-colored lobsters are moreso. The chances of catching a lobster like Freckles is 1 in 30,000,000, according to a Red Lobster spokesperson.
"Calico-colored lobsters like Freckles are so rare, it was almost unbelievable that we received one," a Red Lobster spokesperson told CNN. "We are so proud of our employees for recognizing that Freckles was so special — and for reaching out so we could make arrangements for rescue."
"Calico-colored lobsters like Freckles are so rare because their coloring makes them very visible and thus vulnerable to predators," the Red Lobster spokesperson said. "Because a calico-colored lobster is so rare and vulnerable in the wild, it was important that we found him a good home versus setting him free in the wild where he likely would not survive."
via CNN
Freckles has found a new, safe, predator-free home at the Virginia Living Museum in Newport News, VA. After being picked up on April 29, Freckles was given a veterinary evaluation and will kept in quarantine for 30 days to make sure he's still healthy. After that, he'll join the other aquatic animals in the museum.
"We see this as an opportunity to share nature's anomaly with guests, as well as continue important education about sustainable seafood practices and significant conservation," Chris Crippen, the museum's senior director of Animal Welfare and Conservation, said in a statement.
via CNN
