Florida woman ‘saves’ land-dwelling tortoise by throwing it into a lake

Gopher tortoises don’t swim. They sink. However, a recent SnapChat from a Florida woman shows her “saving” a poor gopher tortoise by hurling it into a lake.

“Here’s a little note to self to anyone who finds a turtle – save it. Don’t just leave it on the road. They’re so cute,” says the woman, holding the doomed reptile.  

“Turtle saving is a hobby,” she proclaims before sending the little guy to a watery grave. 

Apparently Floridians tossing gopher tortoises into water is a recurring problem. This unfortunate turtle death comes only 5 months after a string of incidents where people “helped” tortoises into the ocean. News13 even ran a story titled, “Gopher tortoises don’t swim. Don’t help them into the ocean.”

According to the the FWC, gopher tortoises are a threatened species and are currently protected under Florida state law. 

This article appears in Sep 23-29, 2015.