ANGLESEY Sea Zoo is preparing to say bon voyage to one of its residents
The attraction’s largest conger eel is going to be released so that she can migrate to give birth to her young.
The unamed eel will travel from the Menai Strait across the Atlantic Ocean and then probably give birth in the Caribbean.
The massive eel, which has been resident at the zoo for the past two years, is 2.5 metres in length and weighs 80lbs and is thought to be 15 years old, has been showing signs that it is time for her to breed.
“She experienced rapid growth last summer and is now off her food and losing weight so it looks like the time to release her back so she can complete her final journey to give birth,” said Dylan Evans, owner of the zoo.
Dylan added: “It is always a tricky process when deciding to release an animal into the wild but this eel has received no medical treatment at the zoo and the tank she is in isn't connected to any other; the water from the Strait comes in and the waste goes out.”
She should be perfectly ready once released to the conditions of the Straits and prepared to carry out her migration.
Once released she will begin digesting her own body fat rather than wasting time and energy hunting en-route and then at arrival at her destination she will give birth and then die.