Mote Laboratory scientists have confirmed that Beggar the dolphin has died.

The dolphin, known for its poor habits of begging for food thanks to the many people who would illegally feed him around Sarasota waters, was found dead Friday near the Albee Road Bridge, according to Mote. "Beggar was a local icon and tourist attraction for over two decades, and the results of this necropsy are a reminder of how people's actions are harmful to wild dolphins," said Stacey Horstman, NOAA Fisheries Bottlenose Dolphin Conservation Coordinator in a statement. "There is a common misconception that feeding, touching, and swiming with dolphins is not harmful and that they don't get hit by boats. We are concered about how frequently the public and anglers continue to feed wild dolphins, as Beggar is just one of many wild dolphins in the southeast U.S. that have been fed by people and learned to associate people with food."

Mote has studied this bottlenose dolphin for quite some time to illustrate how humans can hurt wild animals. The bridge he was found by was a frequent spot for Beggar, according to Mote, as boaters would be swooned by Beggar's attempts and tricks for foods, but what some would see as a simple meal or treat was actually illegal—and costly.

Mote scientists aren't sure what exactly killed Beggar, but it appears it could be a number of factors. This is what the necropsy—an autopsy for animals—revealed, according to Mote:

Multiple broken ribs and vertebrae

Two stingray barbs. One reached the small intestine and one close to the lungs

Boat wounds on the dorsal fin, which appeared to have healed.

Healed puncture on right pectoral fin

Possible boat wound on right side

Healed puncture wound between blowhole and dorsal fin

Beggar had multiple broken ribs and vertebrae.

Three fishing hooks and bits of fishing line in his stomach

Two squid beaks, which aren't part of a normal dolphin's dining

Several ulcers in his third stomach

Dehydration Gretchen Lovewell, manager of Mote's Stranding Investigations Program, performed the necropsy and said the findings show that Beggar's interactions with humans proved costly, but it's hard determined if there was a definitive cause of death.

"We can't say which of these many injuries was the ultimate cause of death for Beggar," Lovewell said in a news release. "But all of our findings indicate that he was in poor health for a long time and that his interactions with humans played a role. Boat strike wounds, fishing hooks and line in his stomach — even the squid beaks we found — all of these things indicate that he was spending more time attempting to get food from humans than foraging on his own."

Beggar's habits landed him in study after study in scientific papers around the world so scientists could learn more about the effects of feeding wild animals and dolphins. Feeding dolphins can land someone a fine up to $100,000 plus a year in jail per violation thanks to the Marine Mammal Protection Act.