Rare dolphins pulled from ocean for selfies, one dies, says eco group - CNET

This is what happened in Santa Teresita, Buenos Aires, according to Argentinian conservation group Vida Silvestre.

The Franciscana or Plata dolphin grows to only 5 feet. It's named after its skin, which is a brown color similar to that of the habits wo by Franciscan monks.

Vida Silvestre said there are now less than 30,000 of them.

Twice in recent weeks, Vida Silvestre said, Franciscana dolphins were removed from the water so people could hold them, stare at them and, as other reports attest, take selfies with them.

The BBC reported that images on Facebook showed dozens of people taking pictures with a dolphin, stroking it and generally treating it like a newfound pet.

Video also appeared on YouTube of a small dolphin being plucked out of the water and carried to the beach.

But these dolphins cannot spend a long time out of the water; they quickly dehydrate, and Vida Silvestre said at least one of the dolphins died.

Vida Silvestre posted an image to Twitter of a Franciscana on the beach, and as the story spread around Twitter on Thursday, reaction was swift and severe.

For example, a user by the name of Brittany Draper offered: "Beyond disgusted. All for the sake of amateur photography. Wake up from your attention-seeking, vain ignorance. I beg."

It's never a good idea to take selfies with wild animals.

Some people try to take selfies with tigers and bears. And who could forget the wise Nebraska football player who took one with a raccoon and ended up killing it?

It seems that the need for a picture is greater than any other thought.

In some cases, however, it's the selfie-taker -- and not an innocent animal -- who winds up as the victim.