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Baby Dolphin Dies After Being Passed Around by Tourists Taking Selfies
Last week, a young Franciscana dolphin was killed after beachgoers in Santa Teresita, Argentina reportedly pulled it out of the water so people could take photos with it.
These images were captured from an eye-witness named Hernan Coria, who called the situation a "pity."
This dolphin appears to have been yanked from the water so people could take selfies. Photo credit: Hernan Coria
The Franciscana dolphin is listed as ‘vulnerable’ species. There are only 30,000 left on the planet. Photo credit: Hernan Coria
The dolphin died later on the beach due to suspected dehydration. Photo credit: Hernan Coria
In the video below, you can see a throng of people rushing over as someone pulls the dolphin out of the waves and carries it to the beach. Instead of returning it to the water or calling for help, a crowd begins to gather and some people even stroke the helpless animal.
The Franciscana, or La Plata, dolphin is an extremely rare dolphin found only in Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil. The animal grows between 4-6 feet long, up to 115 pounds and lives up to 20 years. They are so unique that not much is known about it, according to Dolphins-World.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed the dolphin as vulnerable to extinction. There are roughly 30,000 left in the world.
The incident has drawn response from the Wildlife Foundation in Argentina. The organization issued a statement and also sent out this tweet that reads, "Do not take pictures. Help return it to the water. These situations can lead to death."
"The Franciscana, like other dolphins, can not remain long above water. It has a very thick and greasy skin that provides warmth, so the weather quickly causes dehydration and death," the organization said.
The organization noted that there were two dolphins yanked from the water on the day of the incident and at least one of the dolphins was killed.
"Therefore, the occasion serves to inform the public about the urgent need to return to these dolphins to sea before the encounter with one on the shore. It is vital that people help to rescue these animals because every Franciscana counts now," they concluded.
The footage here shows the marine mammal lying completely motionless on the beach, as if it was left to die.
The incident only serves as another reminder that we should not take selfies with wild animals.
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