Another baby dolphin apparently dies after beachgoers pull it out of the water
Nearly a year after disturbing videos and pictures of a baby dolphin apparently dying after being passed around by selfie-seeking beachgoers in Argentina went viral, it appears history is once again repeating itself.
Another baby dolphin reportedly died last week in San Bernardo, Argentina after tourists dragged the creature out of the water so they could “play” and take pictures with it.
A video shared by C5N, a TV channel in Argentina, on Twitter shows a group of about a dozen people surrounding the beached dolphin, each reaching their arms out to pet the motionless creature.
One witness told Argentinian newspaper La Capital that after the photos were taken, “they left [the dolphin] for dead.”
“He was young and came to the shore. They could have returned him to the water — in fact, he was breathing,” the witness explained to La Capital. “But everyone started taking photos and touching him. They said he was already dead.”
World Animal Protection condemned the tragic incident in a Facebook post on Friday.
“It’s so sad to hear that another baby dolphin has been tragically killed by a mob of holiday makers taking selfies,” the organization wrote. “This sadly shows that some people’s focus is on taking a selfie with an animal, rather than thinking of its welfare.”
The animal rights group urged people who find a beached animal to not touch the creature and notify the local authorities for immediate assistance.
“If you can pet it, ride it or take a selfie with it, then the animal is likely to be suffering,” the group said. “Wild animals belong in the wild.”
Wildlife officials sent a similar message to tourists last February, when another baby dolphin died after being pulled from the water.
The animal apparently overheated and died while out of the water, Sky News reported.
“This incident should serve to remind people about he need to return these dolphins to the sea if one is found outside of the water,” an Argentine affiliate of the World Wildlife Foundation said in a statement. “It’s fundamental that people help rescue these animals because every Franciscan has a value.”
