Internet goes crazy after beach-goers kill baby dolphin for selfies
A baby dolphin has died, after it was plucked from the water so tourists could take selfies on a beach in Argentina. Now a local wildlife organization is trying to educate people about the vulnerable species to try to prevent other deaths.
"We saw this picture [and] we wanted to raise awareness and to tell these people to leave the dolphins alone," Verónica García of Vida Silvestre tells As It Happens host Carol Off.
Every year, hundreds of these animals, the Franciscana dolphin, die because of the nets local fisherman use.
García says the baby dolphin might have been sick and would probably have died, even if it had not been taken out of the water. But she says it doesn't excuse people interfering with a wild animal.
"They should have just called the authorities."
After García's organization, an arm of the World Wildlife Fund, spoke out, they were told about other dolphins being removed from the water.
One example was particularly horrifying. "A guy took a dolphin from the water to show to the public and then threw it into the garbage," says García.
Reaction online has condemned those who removed the dolphin from the water in the name of taking a great photo:
You know you've lost faith in humanity when a poor Dolphin dies because people want to take a selfie with it. Where's the sign up to Mars?
—@DIANAATURNBULLWe have their faces. everyone who took a selfie that caused the death of a baby dolphin should do jail time. Every. One.
—@faintdreamsThat story about the dead dolphin selfie is enough to ruin your day from the outset.
—@SamuelWRobertsHow do people's minds work?<br><br>Look, there's a baby dolphin in the sea.<br><br>I know. I'll get it out of the sea and take a selfie with it.<br><br>Morons
—@ColTalbot1The people who passed around a helpless dolphin for the sake of a ‘selfie’ can rot in all honesty.
—@iamCJHeap