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A video of a man carrying a dolphin over his shoulder has sparked outrage online.

Police in China are looking for the man after he was caught on camera carrying the animal on a beach.

People have called for the man to be fined "thousands of yuan" after the incident.

According to witnesses, the animal was stranded on the beach in southern China and appeared to be dying when the man picked it up on May 1.

Footage of the incident, filmed on Hailing Island in China's Guangdong province, show the man walking along the beach with the animal over his shoulder.

Mr Chen told Btime: "It seemed to be dying, actually almost dead near the shore.

"The tourist caught it and put it on his shoulder. Then he drove away in his vehicle, presumably with the dolphin."

In the video the man appears to have his hand over the animal's mouth.

One person commented online: "If caught they must be severely criticised."

Another wrote: "These people are savages. They should be punished and made to pay hundreds of thousands of yuan."

And another person added: "This is disgusting."

Dolphins are listed as a protected species under China's Law of Wildlife Protection.

Citizens are not allowed to hunt, kill, sell or keep the protected species, even if it is found dead.

The Guangdong fisheries department confirmed that they are investigating the incident in a statement on their official Wechat page.

In 2013, a stranded dolphin died in Hainan province after being handled by tourists wanting photos with it.