By April MacIntyre Jan 12, 2009, 1:51 GMT
Lobster is a delicious crustacean, especially North Atlantic ones served up with drawn butter.
Lobster alert-don't eat George please...EPA/TOLGA BOZOGLU
Some people think otherwise, and have set free an old-timer on display at the City Crab restaurant in New York City.
The giant lobster George was released Saturday into the Atlantic Ocean after a New York seafood restaurant agreed to his freedom, according to the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.
George was really old, 140 years according to PETA and he clocked in at 20 pounds. The elderly lobster was on display for years, and two customers alerted PETA.
City Crab manager Keith Valenti told CNN that lobsters can grow a pound every seven to 10 years, and he put George's weight at 18 to 20 pounds.
"I've been here for 12 years, and that's the biggest lobster I've ever seen," Valenti said. When PETA got involved and requested the release, it "seemed like the right thing to do."
PETA President Ingrid Newkirk said in a statement, "We applaud the folks at City Crab and Seafood for their compassionate decision to allow this noble old-timer to live out his days in freedom and peace.
"We hope that their kind gesture serves as an example that these intriguing animals don't deserve to be confined to tiny tanks or boiled alive."
George the lobster was squired to Maine's frigid waters where he was released to the wild.
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