George was captured off the coast of Newfoundland in December 2008,[1] and sold to the City Crab and Seafood restaurant in Park Avenue South for US$100.
George was then driven to Maine, and released into waters north of Kennebunkport by PETA members, on January 10.
[2] George made the journey in a plastic foam cooler, filled with seaweed and wet newspaper.
[3] In a statement, Ingrid Newkirk of PETA said[1][4] 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 weighed 20 pounds (9.1 kg), and was estimated to be 140 years old, placing his year of birth around 1869.