The 21-year-old woman tells INSIDE EDITION that she is "genuinely sorry" for the mixup.
A woman thought she was doing a good deed by throwing a stranded turtle into the water – until she realized it was a tortoise.
“If anyone runs into a turtle, save it, don't just leave it on the road,” 21-year-old Kimberly said in a video she posted online. She threw the little guy into a pond, adding: “Turtle saving is a hobby.”
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But now she's being slammed because the "turtle" was actually a tortoise, and it was unable to swim.
People targeted her online, making comments like "stupid girl" and "bird brain."
“It's taken a toll. My face is swollen from crying,” she told INSIDE EDITION.
IE spoke to Kimberly, who still can't believe her rescue backfired so badly.
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“I never intended anyone to think I would kill an animal, or would ever do anything to harm an animal. I'm just sincerely and genuinely sorry,” she said.
But Kimberly said the animal survived, explaing: “He popped up out of the water and walked into the woods. So he was perfectly fine."
So how do you tell the difference between a turtle and a tortoise? Turtle feet are like flippers. Tortoise feet are flatter, for walking on land.
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