An ultra-rare orange lobster returned to the ocean off the coast of Long Island Wednesday after the crustacean was discovered at an upstate supermarket – just a claw-length away from ending up on someone’s plate.
The “ 1-in-30-million find ” — nicknamed Jean-Clawd Van Damme — was rescued from a Tops supermarket near Rochester, New York on Sept. 15 by shopper Kyle Brancato, who immediately recognized the animal as something special and snatched him up. 3
“The Atlantic Ocean is nowhere near Rochester, so he panicked,” said Humane Long Island executive director John Di Leonardo, who Brancato contacted for rescue advice.
The upstate shopper was able to house Jean-Clawd in a cooler filled with tank water until volunteers drove the crustacean down to Long Island’s North Shore, where he