Baby Dolphin Dies After Being Pulled From Ocean by Selfie-Seeking Tourists in Argentina

The Franciscana dolphin is currently considered a "vulnerable species."

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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Disturbing footage purportedly depicting the maddeningly stupid death of a baby dolphin at the hands of selfie-seeking tourists has inspired global outrage, with local wildlife officials confirming the deceased creature belongs to a "vulnerable species." The footage, originally uploaded to Facebook by an alleged witness before being removed, was obtained by the New York Daily News and reveals the Franciscana dolphin's final moments as tourists at a beach in Argentina clamor to get photos:

WARNING: SENSITIVE FOOTAGE

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"The Franciscana, like other species, cannot remain for much time outside of the water," a spokesperson for the Argentine Wildlife Foundation said in a statement to the Daily News. "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." According to current estimates, there are "less than" 30,000 of these dolphins around the world. Adding that the Franciscana is considered a "vulnerable" creature, the Argentine Wildlife Foundation condemned the tourists' purported actions.

Animal rights activists (and other people who don't like seeing living beings die needlessly) across the globe have expressed their disgust with the footage, including recent Golden Globes host and outspoken champion of animal welfare, Ricky Gervais. In a statement posted on Thursday, PETA took aim at the heartlessness of the incident: "One can only imagine the trauma experienced not only by this baby, who was passed around like a toy by marauding tourists, but also by his or her grieving mother."

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