Endangered dolphin dies after beachgoers pass it around for photos

Franciscana dolphin at Argentinian beach was one of fewer than 30,000 and is considered a threatened species

The Wildlife Foundation in Argentina has urged people to return beached dolphins to the sea as soon as possible, after a dolphin died having been passed around so that beachgoers could take photos with it.

Images on Facebook showed a man holding up an endangered Franciscana dolphin on the beach at Santa Teresita, in Buenos Aires province, as people jostled to stroke or take pictures of the creature, seemingly oblivious of its plight. Another photo showed the same dolphin lying dead on its side. The dolphin is believed to have been the second to wash up on the beach that day.