Federally-Protected Loggerhead Turtle to Return to Florida August 10

" size=A loggerhead turtle brought illegally to Minnesota as a baby from a beach in southern Florida will soon return home thanks to the Minnesota Zoo, Sun Country Airlines and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

On Wednesday, August 10, the turtle and its escort from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will board an early morning flight to Fort Myers, Florida, courtesy of Sun Country Airlines who donated the tickets. "We will provide this passenger with top-notch service," said Sun Country's Chief Operating Officer Shaun Nugent. "We pride ourselves on giving all of our passengers a great experience and although a rare loggerhead turtle does not fit our usual customer profile, this will be no exception.? Upon arrival in Florida, the turtle will be transported to the Naples Nature Center operated by the Conservancy of South West Florida, a non-profit organization that specializes in conservation and rehabilitation of Florida's sea turtles and other wildlife. The turtle will remain at the Center for about one year, when it is large enough to survive on its own in the wild.The turtle has been at the Minnesota Zoo since September, 2004, when Zoo aquarists received a call from the Service's law enforcement office in St. Paul which had confiscated a one-week old loggerhead turtle that was smuggled to Minnesota from a beach in Sanibel Island, Florida. The turtle needed to be cared for until the legal issues surrounding the case could be resolved?and Zoo staff agreed to help. Just the size of a 50-cent piece and weighing only