Betty White Secretly Rescued Animals In Hurricane Katrina Aftermath — And The Aquarium Didn’t Even Know!

L. F.

She really was something special.

In the wake of Betty White’s death, the Audubon Nature Institute has revealed that the actress generously paid for a plane to help evacuate animals stranded in New Orleans after August 2005’s deadly Hurricane Katrina. Taking to Twitter to pay tribute to the animal lover, the organization reflected:

“We lost a conservationist, animal advocate, and friend. When the penguins & sea otters were evacuated to [Monterey Bay Aquarium] for Hurricane Katrina, Betty White paid for the plane to relocate them. She did not ask for fanfare; she just wanted to help. #ThankYouForBeingAFriend.”

Wow! That’s seriously so incredible! It’s always amazing when celebrities use their platform for good — and you know the 99-year-old was doing it for the right reason if she didn’t ask for any “fanfare.”

Related: Betty White’s Heartbreaking Final Words Revealed

Even crazier, the institute didn’t even know Betty was the one to donate the private plane until months after the rescue was completed! Spokesperson Annie Matherne told the HuffPost that it’s unclear what “portion” of the donation White gave since the transaction wasn’t handled directly, but she was certainly involved in the rescue mission.

Either way, the performer’s secret support was incredibly important for the animals’ safety. Although the facility was built on high ground and had concrete walls, severe damage had already been done, leading to the death of over 10,000 fish because marine tanks stopped working after their generators failed. More reason to love and miss Betty White…

[Image via FayesVision/WENN & CBS News/YouTube]

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