Doubts surround baby dolphin's death in Argentina

Update (February 20):

A new video spotted by BuzzFeed appears to show that a young dolphin (whose death we announced in our story on  February 19, see below) was already dead when tourists took it out of the water and photographed it. Argentine animal rights groups that circulated the story about the mammal's death have clarified that they do not know exactly when it died. It is therefore possible that the animal had died of natural causes before it was taken to shore.

The man who took the photos and posted them on Facebook, Hernan Coria, has also been quoted by the news site Telefe Noticias as saying the dolphin was already dead. He has since shut down his Facebook account.

(19 February)

A young dolphin died a horrific death after a horde of tourists in Buenos Aires yanked it out of the water and took turns taking selfies with it. The dolphin did not survive for long out of its element as it was quickly killed by dehydration. Photos taken by bystanders show the beach-goers manhandling the dolphin to get a photo op.

The incident took place two weeks ago at a Buenos Aires resort. According to the Argentine Wildlife Foundation – who reminded the public that dolphins need water to survive – the dolphin was of the Franciscana variety, of which there are only about 30,000 left in the world. It is considered a “vulnerable” species.