A baby dolphin has died in Almeria, Spain after it was handled by tourists looking to take photographs.
A baby dolphin separated from its mother has died after tourists approached the female calf when it became beached in Mojacar, Almeria.
Photographs emerged of curious beachgoers stroking the tiny mammal as it floated “frightened and weak” in the shallows.
Equinac, a local non-profit wildlife organisation, say “photographs showed children touching the animal, unintentionally covering its blowhole.”
The NGO wrote on Facebook: “Humans are the most irrational animal there is. Many people are unable to feel empathy for a living being which is frightened, starving hungry, without its mother.”
“In their selfishness, all they want to do is photograph it and touch it, even if the animals is suffering from stress” the post continued.
If you see a stranded dolphin on the coast, you should call the 112 emergency services rather than trying to touch it, the organisation advised.
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