Wildlife group warns holidaymakers that the vulnerable mammals should be returned to sea if they get too close to shore after animal dies at Argentine resort
The dolphin died of suspected dehydration after being paraded around Photo: Hernan Coria/CEN
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By Chiara Palazzo
1:05AM GMT 18 Feb 2016
This is the moment when a baby dolphin was carried on to an Argentine beach for selfies, condemning it to death in the hot sun.
Hernan Coria captured the incident in photographs as the crowd at the beach resort of Santa Teresita paraded the La Plata dolphin - also known as the Franciscana dolphin - around like a trophy.
People push forward to stroke the stranded creature.
The episode has caused the Wildlife Foundation in Argentina to publish a reminder about the vulnerable species, which is only present off the coast of Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil.
"Recently photographs taken in Santa Teresita showing a group of people passing a dolphin around on dry land on two occasions have emerged. At least one of these animals has died.
"This incident should help the public understand the urgent need to return these dolphins to the sea when they get close to the shore."
The dolphine was stroked by a crowd of sunbathers who then abandoned it on the beach Photo: Hernan Coria
"The Franciscana, like other species, cannot remain for much time outside of the water, it has thick skin full of fat which regulates its body temperature, so taking it out of the water rapidly causes it to dehydrate and die," the foundation said.
The species is listed as "vulnerable" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (ICUN) with fewer
than 30,000 individuals surviving.
The dolphin died of suspected dehydration after being paraded around Photo: Hernan Coria/CEN
Learn a new language at your own pace
Studying a new language doesn’t have to mean stepping back into the classroom. Babbel offers 13 language courses that can be studied online and on the go.
Sponsored by Babbel
By Chiara Palazzo
1:05AM GMT 18 Feb 2016
This is the moment when a baby dolphin was carried on to an Argentine beach for selfies, condemning it to death in the hot sun.
Hernan Coria captured the incident in photographs as the crowd at the beach resort of Santa Teresita paraded the La Plata dolphin - also known as the Franciscana dolphin - around like a trophy.
People push forward to stroke the stranded creature.
The episode has caused the Wildlife Foundation in Argentina to publish a reminder about the vulnerable species, which is only present off the coast of Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil.
"Recently photographs taken in Santa Teresita showing a group of people passing a dolphin around on dry land on two occasions have emerged. At least one of these animals has died.
"This incident should help the public understand the urgent need to return these dolphins to the sea when they get close to the shore."
"The Franciscana, like other species, cannot remain for much time outside of the water, it has thick skin full of fat which regulates its body temperature, so taking it out of the water rapidly causes it to dehydrate and die," the foundation said.
The species is listed as "vulnerable" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (ICUN) with fewer
than 30,000 individuals surviving.
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