George (lobster)
Encyclopedia
George was a lobster
owned briefly by the City Crab and Seafood restaurant in New York City
. Captured in December 2008, he was released back into the wild in January 2009. George weighed 20 lbs, and had an estimated age of 140 years.
in December 2008, and sold to the City Crab and Seafood restaurant in Park Avenue South for $100. He arrived at the restaurant on New Year's Eve. Keith Valenti, the restaurant manager, said that "We never intended him to be sold, just draw attention to the restaurant, and he did." Instead, the lobster had been "sitting in the restaurant's tank and acting as a sort of mascot"; Valenti explained that "we bought a big lobster, started taking pictures with kids and it worked out real well". George was given his name by a young patron of the restaurant, and was treated as a pet. He lived in the tank for approximately ten days.
about George being kept in the restaurant, and the group began lobbying for his freedom. After initially refusing to release him, Valenti later said that it was a "no brainer" to release George back into the wild, and that it "seemed like the right thing to do." He was taken from the restaurant to Portsmouth, New Hampshire
, where an expert in crustacean
s would help ease his transition to the wild. George was then driven to Maine
, and released into waters north of Kennebunkport by PETA members, on January 10. The area was chosen because lobster fishing was forbidden there. George made the journey in a plastic foam cooler, filled with seaweed and wet newspaper. Vegetarian restaurateur Larry Fleming from Maine handled the trip. He said that George would be "very happy" when returned to the ocean. In a statement, Ingrid Newkirk
of PETA said
Lobster
Clawed lobsters comprise a family of large marine crustaceans. Highly prized as seafood, lobsters are economically important, and are often one of the most profitable commodities in coastal areas they populate.Though several groups of crustaceans are known as lobsters, the clawed lobsters are most...
owned briefly by the City Crab and Seafood restaurant in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Captured in December 2008, he was released back into the wild in January 2009. George weighed 20 lbs, and had an estimated age of 140 years.
Capture
George was captured off the coast of NewfoundlandNewfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
in December 2008, and sold to the City Crab and Seafood restaurant in Park Avenue South for $100. He arrived at the restaurant on New Year's Eve. Keith Valenti, the restaurant manager, said that "We never intended him to be sold, just draw attention to the restaurant, and he did." Instead, the lobster had been "sitting in the restaurant's tank and acting as a sort of mascot"; Valenti explained that "we bought a big lobster, started taking pictures with kids and it worked out real well". George was given his name by a young patron of the restaurant, and was treated as a pet. He lived in the tank for approximately ten days.
Release
Two customers told animal rights group PETAPeta
Peta can refer to:* peta-, an SI prefix denoting a factor of 1015* Peta, Greece, a town in Greece* Peta, the Pāli word for a Preta, or hungry ghost in Buddhism* Peta Wilson, an Australian actress and model* Peta Todd, English glamour model...
about George being kept in the restaurant, and the group began lobbying for his freedom. After initially refusing to release him, Valenti later said that it was a "no brainer" to release George back into the wild, and that it "seemed like the right thing to do." He was taken from the restaurant to Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Portsmouth is a city in Rockingham County, New Hampshire in the United States. It is the largest city but only the fourth-largest community in the county, with a population of 21,233 at the 2010 census...
, where an expert in crustacean
Crustacean
Crustaceans form a very large group of arthropods, usually treated as a subphylum, which includes such familiar animals as crabs, lobsters, crayfish, shrimp, krill and barnacles. The 50,000 described species range in size from Stygotantulus stocki at , to the Japanese spider crab with a leg span...
s would help ease his transition to the wild. George was then driven to Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
, and released into waters north of Kennebunkport by PETA members, on January 10. The area was chosen because lobster fishing was forbidden there. George made the journey in a plastic foam cooler, filled with seaweed and wet newspaper. Vegetarian restaurateur Larry Fleming from Maine handled the trip. He said that George would be "very happy" when returned to the ocean. In a statement, Ingrid Newkirk
Ingrid Newkirk
Ingrid Newkirk is a British-born animal rights activist and president of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals , the world's largest animal rights organization...
of PETA said