Florida Warns: Stop Dumping Gopher Tortoises in the Ocean. They Will Drown.

You probably don’t know what a gopher tortoise is, but you do know what Florida is, and any post with the name of that lovable state in the title is bound to have something wacky inside.

First, something important you really need to know about the gopher tortoise is that it can’t swim.

And now that you know that, imagine how the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission reacted to several instances of people deciding to help out these creatures by bringing them to the ocean.

According to the AP, this is exactly what happened. Just days ago the FWC said there were at least three recent instances of “people ‘helping’ gopher tortoise hatchlings to the ocean.” And, again, they can’t swim.

In fact, the FWC actually put out a press release telling people to please stop:

Last month, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) received three known reports of well-intentioned good Samaritans incorrectly releasing gopher tortoise hatchlings into the ocean. Gopher tortoises cannot swim well and can easily drown. Because gopher tortoises often nest in dunes adjacent to sea turtle nesting beaches, correct identification of these terrestrial animals is important before deciding what action, if any, is necessary.

So, just to recap, don’t take a poor defenseless creature that can’t swim and releasing it into the ocean. THE MORE YOU KNOW.

[h/t Wikimedia Commons]
[image via screengrab]

— —

Follow Josh Feldman on Twitter: @feldmaniac

New: The Mediaite One-Sheet "Newsletter of Newsletters"
Your daily summary and analysis of what the many, many media newsletters are saying and reporting. Subscribe now!