Earlier this month, a young La Plata dolphin died after beachgoers in Argentina removed it from the water to take selfies with it. Reports indicate the dolphin dehydrated, and was left in the sand after dying. The La Plata, also known as a Franciscana dolphin, can normally live up to 20 years. The incident took place in Santa Teresita, about 350 kilometers southeast of Buenos Aires, according to CNN.
Witness Hernan Corita took photos as dozens touched and passed the creature around. The International Union for Conservation of Nature lists the dolphin under "vulnerable." Only 30,000 are reported to exist in the wild, according to the Washington Times.
The Argentine Wildlife Foundation later warned the public of the dolphins' vulnerability. "The Franciscana, like other species, cannot remain for much time outside of the water, 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," said the organization, reported Sky News. "This occasion serves to inform the public about the urgent necessity to return these dolphins to the sea as soon as possible if they find them on the shore. It is fundamental that people help to rescue animals because every Franciscana counts now."
