A rare baby dolphin has died on the beach after selfish tourists pulled it from the ocean so they could take selfies with it.
Shocking
footage from Santa Teresita beach in Buenos Aires, Argentina, shows the
body of the marine mammal lying motionless on the floor as dozens of
people surround it.
The Franciscana dolphin had been passed around between sun worshippers while they took out their phones and posed for pictures
It was then dumped on the side to die from dehydration and overheating from exposure to the sun.
A spokesperson for the Argentine Wildlife Foundation (AWF) condemned the actions of the tourists.
They
said: “This serves to inform the public about the urgent necessity to
return these dolphins to the sea as soon as possible.”
The footage sparked fury from viewers, many taking to Twitter to vent their anger at the actions of those on the beach.
The Franciscana dolphin is
listed as a ‘vulnerable’ species as there are just 30,000 left on the
planet and are only found in the southeastern parts of South America.
The SWF spokesperson added: ”It is fundamental that people help to rescue these animals, because every Franciscana counts now.“
