Two Men ‘Surfing’ on a Turtle Spark the Wrath of the Internet
Two men who “surfed” on top of a beached sea turtle in Queensland, Australia, are this week’s biggest idiots. Authorities are now investigating the photo of their cruel stunt, and they could face a hefty fine—in addition to the wrath of the Internet.
The photo—in which the men are seen drinking and standing on top of the turtle—was reportedly posted to Facebook by 26-year-old Ricky Rogers with a caption that read, “Surfed a tortoise on zee weekend.. gnarly duddddeeeee [sic].” After receiving thousands of outrage-filled comments, Rogers made his account private.
RSPCA Queensland spokesperson Michael Beatty didn’t hold back when discussing the photo with the Fraser Coast Chronicle: “These guys are just complete idiots—there’s no way they should be doing what they were doing.”
Beatty also said that the men could have seriously injured the turtle, but it’s unknown whether the animal was alive or dead at the time that the photo was taken.
According to the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, the men could have to pay a fine of up to $20,000 for their cruelty.
Can We Please Leave Animals out of Selfies!?
Dear everyone: Animals are not selfie props. They’re routinely injured, exploited, and killed because of human vanity. Turtles are beaten by crowds, sharks are dragged from the ocean to die, and baby tigers are torn away from their mothers—just so that people can take photos with them. And what do these photos achieve? Likes? Shares? If there’s any risk that your photo is going to harm or stress an animal, it’s not worth it.
What You Can Do
Help us stop this trend of deadly ignorance by sharing this story with your friends, family, and social media followers. Let them know that animals’ lives are worth so much more than Instagram likes.
