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A rare baby dolphin met a fateful end in Argentina last week. It was not fishing nets of trawlers or plastic wastes in the ocean that killed it but curious selfie-crazed beachgoers that removed it from water to pet and pose until it stopped moving.

A viral video of the incident from Santa Teresita, a seaside tourist town, has drawn the ire of wildlife enthusiasts from across the globe. In the video, a beachgoer is seen pulling out the small dolphin from water, to the excitement of other beachgoers. Soon a crowd gathers to pet the animal and click pictures. After a while, the dolphin is left motionless on the beach.

The incident assumed significance as the dolphin belongs to vulnerable Franciscana species. According to The Washington Post, which quoted the Argentine Wildlife Foundation, there are only 30,000 of them left. The foundation condemned the incident while advising people to return beached dolphins to the sea.

"The Franciscan, like other dolphins, can not remain long above water. It has a very thick and greasy skin that provides warmth, so the weather will quickly causes dehydration and death," the foundation said in a statement.

The foundation also said two dolphins had beached in Santa Teresita but just one was known to have died. Franciscana are said to be found only in the waters of Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil.