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October 16, 2005
midas the turtle
From
Moody Gardens...
As New Orleans residents begin to return to their homes following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, so does one of the largest residents of Audubon Aquarium of the Americas. "King Midas," the giant 300-pound green sea turtle has returned to the Aquarium after being evacuated following the storm.
King Midas was taken to a temporary home at Galveston’s Moody Garden’s Aquarium for several weeks before returning to New Orleans. His overland trip from Galveston to New Orleans took place overnight to keep the giant turtle as cool as possible. He traveled with two Aquarium staffers, David Brandt and Rich Toth, who stopped frequently in the drive back to New Orleans to monitor Midas and mist him with cool water.
At the Aquarium, Midas lives in the 400,000 Gulf of Mexico exhibit and he joins several large tarpon, another sea turtle, and several fish who also survived the storm and now resident in that exhibit. "Seeing this magnificent animal return to the Aquarium is a symbol of rebirth – not only for the Aquarium, but for our city," said Ron Forman, Audubon Nature Institute President and CEO. "Our animals are starting to return and we hope to see New Orleans families returning to their homes as well."
King Midas is the first animal to return to the Aquarium following Hurricane Katrina. Midas and other surviving animals were taken to temporary homes following the storm; more than 10,000 animals were lost when emergency life support generators failed.
Zoos and Aquarium’s across the nation are joining together for "Audubon October," a fundraising effort to generate much-needed funds to help Audubon rebuild and reopen. Donations can be made at local zoos and aquariums through the month of October, or online at www.auduboninstitute.org.
