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Staff at a Red Lobster restaurant in Hollywood, Florida opened a recent shipment of live lobsters and realized that one of them was not like the others. The shells of most uncooked lobsters are brownish-green, but this one was a vibrant orange. Odds of finding one of these is 1-in-30 million — because their Day-Glo shells attract predators almost as effectively as holding a neon sign that says "I'm delicious."
The employees knew that this special shellfish deserved something other than becoming a dinner special, so they named her "Cheddar" in honor of Red Lobster's Cheddar Bay biscuits, and relocated her to Ripley's Aquarium in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
"Sometimes ordinary miracles happen, and Cheddar is one of them," Mario Roque, a Red Lobster manager who was involved in rescuing Cheddar, said. "A group of incredible people helped us make this possible. We are so honored to have been able to save Cheddar and find her a good home."
Cheddar has already been safely transported from Florida to her new home at Ripley's Aquarium. "We are incredibly proud of Mario and the team for recognizing what a special and rare creature Cheddar is and for working relentlessly to find someone to rescue her," Nicole Bott, Red Lobster's Senior Director of Communications said. "It is an honor to be able to share the story of Cheddar and provide her a new home where she can be enjoyed by many for years to come, all from the safety of her tank."