// BBC UK NEWS — CRONACA
Rare turtle to be sent back home in 5,000-mile 'incredibly emotional' trip
Rhossi the sea turtle has to travel thousands of miles by plane to get home
A rare turtle that washed up on a Welsh beach is being flown 5,000 miles (8,047km) back home to the Gulf of Mexico.
Rhossi the Kemp's ridley sea turtle was found close to death in December 2023, and has been nursed back to health by staff at the Anglesey Sea Zoo.
Now, conservationists have begun a carefully co-ordinated operation to fly him across the Atlantic ocean, making sure he does not dry out along the way.
"For his skin, we use KY Jelly - better known as a sex lubricant - because it's gentle on the eyes," said Matt Davidson, curator of Anglesey Sea Zoo.
Rhossi being weighed and medically checked before his 5,000-mile journey
It has taken almost two years to plan, including building a special temperature-controlled crate for him, and co-ordinating complex paperwork across two countries.
Rhossi normally lives in the sea, but has to travel out of the water – first by helicopter from Anglesey to London, then by cargo flight to Houston, Texas, USA.
It means the journey needs to be completed as quickly as possible, and staff have to be constantly on hand to make sure he does not dry out or dehydrate.
Davidson said: "We have to make sure that the shell is really well lubricated, so we spread Vaseline all over to stop it drying out and flaking off.