This marine turtle was minding his own peaceful turtle business when suddenly he felt himself being dragged out of his home, the Mediterranean Sea. Not only was he forced out of the water for selfies at Havana Beach in Beirut, Lebanon, he was also repeatedly beaten and stepped on.

A crying boy was forced to stand on the poor turtle even though the kid didn’t even seem to want it. Fortunately, among that ignorant crowd there was a couple of people who cared about the turtle and stepped in to help him get to safety.

Now the turtle is being cared for by the Animals Lebanon organization. The magnificent creature is currently spending his days in a rehabilitation pool set up by the rescue. “The turtle has a very evident spot on his skull, the very top of his head, where he has been hit,” Jason Mier, executive director of Animals Lebanon, told The Dodo. “All that can be done is to give the antibiotics to help fight off any possible infection while it [the wound] is still new and [has] time to heal,” he explained. When the turtle fully recovers, he will be released back into the sea.

More info: animalslebanon.org | Facebook (h/t: thedodo)

A crowd at Havana Beach in Beirut, Lebanon used force to drag this turtle out of the sea

He tried to fight back but people were determined to get their selfies

“The turtle has a very evident spot on his skull, the very top of his head, where he has been hit”

A crying boy was forced to stand on the poor turtle even though the kid didn’t even seem to want it

Luckily, some people from the crowd stepped in to save him and later handed the turtle to the Animals Lebanon organization

The rescue built him a rehabilitation pool and are giving him antibiotics to help fight off any possible infection

When the turtle fully recovers, he will be released back into the sea

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