In Argentina's Santa Teresita, a beach resort town, two dolphins were reportedly pulled from the water and paraded around on land for people to pet last week.
In photos taken by Hernan Coria, one of the small dolphins is seen being held in the air while people pet and photograph the mammal.
BuzzFeed News reached out to Coria for additional information.
The Wildlife Foundation in Argentina said at least one of the dolphins likely died from dehydration, although it could not be confirmed if the mammal was already dead when pulled from the water.
La Plata, also known as Franciscan dolphins, are found only in waters off South America and are considered a "vulnerable" species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
The dolphins can live in the wild for up to 20 years and are known for their extremely long and narrow beaks.
"This occasion serves to inform the public about the urgent necessity to return these dolphins to the sea as soon as possible if they find them on the shore," the Wildlife Foundation in Argentina said in a statement.