Los Angeles, California - Miley Cyrus welcomed an unusual new pet recently! The Flowers performer adopted a 20‑year‑old tortoise from Africa.
With the help of the nonprofit animal‑rights organization Wags and Walks, the 33‑year‑old took the reptile in.
In her Instagram story, Cyrus shared a photo of herself feeding her new pet a piece of bell pepper.
She wrote, "Welcome home, Teru."
The organization doesn't typically rescue tortoises.
Rather, it focuses on stray dogs and finds them loving homes.
"You truly never know who you'll find in a shelter… This past week, we welcomed our very first tortoise into rescue," the Instagram post explained.
"Meet Teru, a 20-year-old Sulcata who found himself in the shelter system, something even our team had never seen before," they added.
"When we heard that @mileycyrus was hoping to adopt a tortoise, we knew we had to help make the connection happen."
All-star animal rescuer Miley Cyrus receives a star on the Walk of Fame
Accordingly, this is the reality animal shelters are currently facing.
Animals of all kinds end up in overcrowded facilities and urgently need new homes.
Wags and Walks noted that the organization had rescued 29 dogs just two weeks earlier from a severely overcrowded shelter where many animals were threatened with euthanasia.
"Animals of all kinds are ending up in overcrowded systems, and more pets than ever are in need of safe places to go," the statement continued.
Just before Cyrus adopted her new family member, she celebrated a major achievement: the 33‑year‑old received her own star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame!
During the ceremony, she was supported by her family – including her mother Tish Cyrus, her sister Brandi Cyrus, and her fiancé Maxx Morando.