BUENOS AIRES (WSVN) — A baby dolphin has died in Argentina after a group of tourists took the marine mammal out of the water to take photos, according to The Huffington Post.
On Thursday, a video was posted on YouTube where you see a large group of tourists parading a beach and taking the baby dolphin out of the water.
The La Plata dolphin was found on the beach resort of Santa Teresita near Buenos Aires. The dolphin is typically found off the coasts of Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay.
“This is a tragic and senseless death, which is sadly indicative of some people’s focus on obtaining a perfect animal selfie rather than thinking of the animal’s welfar," Alyx Elliott, the Head of Campaigns at World Animal Protection, told the Huffington Post.
The dolphin is also known as the Franciscana, who is considered to be a vulnerable species with only 30,000 left worldwide.
"Wild animals belong in the wild, and the beachgoers should have immediately called for help in returning this poor baby dolphin to the ocean, not passed him around like a photo prop,” Elliott added.
"The Franciscana, like other species, cannot remain for much time outside of the water, it has thick fatty skin, which gives it heat and means that taking it out of the water rapidly causes it to dehydrate and die," the Argentine Wildlife Foundation said in a statement.
WATCH THE VIDEO BELOW OR CLICK HERE FOR MOBILE USERS:
(WARNING: Some readers may find the video disturbing)