Rhossi, a rare sea turtle, recovers after 5,000-mile trek from Wales to Texas

Rhossi, a critically endangered Kemp's ridley sea turtle, is prepared to undergo a CT scan at the Houston zoo in Texas on 11 August. Photograph: Evan Garcia/Reuters

A Kemp’s ridley sea turtle native to the Gulf of Mexico is largely thriving after he was found nearly dead on a beach in Wales in late 2023, nursed back to health and then flown to Houston recently to continue recovering – though scans revealed signs that the creature has been grappling with lingering pneumonia, according to his caretakers.

Rhossi’s condition was detailed in a blogpost on Friday from the Houston zoo, whose veterinary team was tasked with caring for the creature – believed to be no older than age four – and giving him the best chance possible at an eventual, successful return to the wild.