Wildlife

Dolphin dies after it’s passed around for selfies

An endangered baby dolphin was killed on a beach in Argentina last week after the animal was plucked from the water and passed around by beachgoers for petting and photos.

The incident, which took place at the beach resort town of Santa Teresita, has drawn wide condemnation from animal lovers and activists.

La Plata dolphins - also known as Franciscana dolphins - are only found in Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil, and fewer than 30 000 of them remain in the wild.

Video footage of last week's incident shows the animal being scooped up by a man and quickly surrounded by a curious mob eager to touch the animal.

The miniature dolphin, no more than a few feet long, is eventually left to die in the mud, where it can be seen lying motionless.

At no point in the footage does it appear that anyone in the crowd intervened or attempted to return the animal to the water.