At least one dolphin died this month after beachgoers in Argentina scrambled to hold the animal and take a selfie while it was out of the water, a wildlife foundation said this week.

Argentina’s Wildlife Foundation warned this week that the animal belongs to a rare subset of dolphins found only in the waters off of Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil. Dolphins of this type, at around five feet long, can be easily held and carried by humans.

The statement from the Wildlife Foundation condemned photos posted on Facebook showing a crowd of people in beach attire clamoring to hold the animal while its out of the water. The story has attracted international attention and prompted calls of anger from animal rights activists.

Get The Brief. Sign up to receive the top stories you need to know right now. Please enter a valid email address. Sign Up Now Check the box if you do not wish to receive promotional offers via email from TIME. You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Thank you! For your security, we've sent a confirmation email to the address you entered. Click the link to confirm your subscription and begin receiving our newsletters. If you don't get the confirmation within 10 minutes, please check your spam folder.

Write to Justin Worland at justin.worland@time.com.