Rescued: World's rarest turtle survives after being swept 4000 miles away from home!

Menai, the rescued turtle being given treatment. (Image courtesy: Anglesey Sea Zoo/Wales News Service)

New Delhi: After being washed 4000 miles away from home, one of the rarest tropical turtles in the world miraculously survived the ordeal and has been rescued.

Discovered on the Menai Strats at Angelsey, North Wales, the turtle is normally native to the Gulf of Mexico and is presently residing at a specialist zoo, thanks to vets.

The female turtle, named Menai, is believed to be an Olive ridley, a unique species that has never been spotted in the UK, or a Kemp's ridley, one of the rarest turtle species on the globe.

Since both species normally live in warm waters, it is not an easy task to differentiate between the two.

Researchers believe that Menai must have been carried by the Gulf Stream along with powerful westerly winds to the Atlantic Ocean, according to the Daily Mail.

The zoo staff treating her says that she is responding positively to the treatment, however, her condition is serious and her survival is doubtful.

According to a spokeswoman at Sea Zoo, the turtle is an endangered species and has never been found in the UK, Nature World News reported.

Tropical turtles are commonly found in temperatures ranging from 25 to 30 degrees Centigrade and the local sea temperature at this time is nearly 8 degrees Centigrade, which is way too cold for them to survive. So experts believe that Menai must have lost her way while moving to warmer seas and it's likely that recent bouts of strong winds helped her to travel this huge distance.

According to Nature World News, Rod Penrose, a turtle expert at the UK Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme, says that an important factor for the survival of the turtle is its size. He added that this particular creature is relatively bigger when compared to other Kemp's ridley turtle. And, because of its huge size, it has managed to survive tough weather conditions, concluded Penrose.