MIAMI – Two living turtles were found chained together Wednesday by a clean-up crew working in the Miami River.
Officials from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission were notified after the 4ocean crew discovered the chained turtles underneath an overpass.
One of the turtles was trying to swim away while the other was on the rocks.
"I honestly thought that this was absolutely ridiculous," David Moya, of 4ocean, said. "Obviously we have zero tolerance for that kind of cruelty toward animals, and I'm just glad that our team was there to respond."
The turtles were most likely used as part of a religious ceremony and discarded. A similar pair of chained turtles carrying voodoo dolls and other religious paraphernalia were rescued in February.
4ocean removed the turtles found in the river Wednesday and brought them to the FWC at a nearby marina.
The plan is to remove the chains and return the turtles to their proper environment.