Ride Needed For Tally the Turtle!

All-volunteer charity Turtles Fly Too, which arranges transportation for endangered turtles that need rehabilitation, is looking for a company or aircraft owner willing to fly Tally, a Kemp's Ridley sea turtle, from Wales, U.K., to Texas. Tally ended up in the cold waters off Wales and in a deep coma with a core temperature of 43 degrees F, down from the normal 70 degrees. 

After Tally had been rescued and moved to Anglesey Sea Zoo in North Wales, aquarium staff put the turtle into an incubator. Following a long recovery, Tally is healthy and ready for transport.

Turtles Fly Too is looking for an aircraft owner who can bring Tally to the U.S., where it will be released off the Texas coast. The container with Tally inside weighs less than 40 pounds and measures 20 by 14 by 12 inches. No attendant needs to fly with Tally and its shell will be coated with petroleum jelly to keep it hydrated during the trip.

To accommodate the pickup, the Royal Air Force will allow the transport aircraft to land and take on fuel at RAF Valley (EGOV) in Wales. A convenient port of entry for the flight would be Conroe Airport (KCXO) near Houston, where Customs and Border Protection officers are available. For more information, contact Turtles Fly Too president Leslie Weinstein at (208) 484-7774 or leslie@turtlesflytoo.org.