George the lobster gets new lease on life at 140

George the lobster gets new lease on life at 140

NEW YORK -- A new lease on life - at 140? That's what a Manhattan lobster got Friday, when the 20-pound crustacean named George was released from a swanky Park Avenue restaurant's tank. City Crab and Seafood agreed to a request from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals to let the lobster return to the Atlantic Ocean.

"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," said PETA President Ingrid E. Newkirk.

Some scientists estimate lobsters can live to be more than 100 years old. PETA and the restaurant gauged George's age at about 140, using a rule of thumb based on the creature's weight.

Caught off Newfoundland, Canada, George lived in the tank for about 10 days. He was to be released Saturday near Kennebunkport, Maine, in an area where lobster trapping is forbidden.

The lobster was to make the trip to Maine in a plastic foam cooler, surrounded by seaweed, cold packs and wet newspapers.

George's life was saved by a diner who notified PETA after spotting the crustacean at the restaurant, where steamed Maine lobster goes for $27 per pound (that's a $97.20 tip), said PETA spokesman Michael McGraw.

He said there have been at least a half-dozen other lobster "liberations" in restaurants around the country.