Old sea turtle rescued from Las Vegas casino

MIAMI - Reuters

Staff scrub down the sea turtle to remove algae in Marathon, Florida. REUTERS photo

An ailing 320-pound, green sea turtle, believed to be about 50 years old, was packed in a customized FedEx crate to be shipped to Las Vegas on July 25 to give it a better home at a luxury casino.

The turtle, named OD, after a dive charter boat that rescued it in 2008, has been cared for at the Florida Keys-based Turtle Hospital for almost five years. It cannot be released due to an irreparable collapsed lung that left it floating on its side.

Officials at the Turtle Hospital decided OD needed a better home with a larger and more stimulating environment.

The Shark Reef Aquarium in Las Vegas offered to give OD a home for his “retirement” at its 1.6-million-gallon aquarium.