The Dark Side of Trendy Animal Photos

Think before you shoot video or snap selfies with creatures like these.

Selfies, GIFs, and viral videos can be deadly for wildlife. Just last week, an endangered baby dolphin died after beachgoers in Argentina hauled it out of the water to pose with it for photos. Also this month two peacocks in a Chinese zoo died after being mishandled by visitors taking selfies.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature, which sets species’ conservation status, lists the La Plata dolphin as vulnerable to extinction, protecting it from hunting and capture in Argentina—but not from people passing one of them around until it died from dehydration.

“I don’t think anyone intended to harm the animal, but the excitement and thrill drew people in,” says Neil D’Cruze, head of Wildlife Policy

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