A group of migrants in Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta were filmed carrying a baby dolphin around a beach after allegedly pulling the animal from the water and striking it in the head with a stick.
The disturbing incident occurred Wednesday at Trampolín beach, where the bottlenose dolphin calf was reportedly spotted swimming close to shore. Footage verified by local outlet El Faro de Ceuta shows members of the group walking toward a breakwater as a man carries the animal.
El Faro reported that the group removed the calf from the water before at least one man struck it in the head with a stick. The blow apparently left the animal gravely injured and ultimately proved fatal, according to the outlet.
One person appeared to hold the animal aloft like a trophy.
El Faro reported that an ecoservices worker cleaning the beach witnessed the incident and warned the group not to hit or handle the animal, telling them to contact a specialized collection service. The group attempted to return the dolphin to the water, but the animal appeared to already be dead.
The Association for the Defense of Urban Trees, Biodiversity and the Environment, known as DAUBMA, filed a formal complaint with Spain’s Civil Guard and asked authorities to investigate the death, according to the Spanish outlet Demócrata.
DAUBMA said it submitted photographs, videos, and screenshots that it believes show the dolphin arriving at the shore alive and disoriented before members of the group forcibly removed it from the water and attacked it. DAUBMA is asking authorities to identify those responsible, open proceedings into the animal’s death and refer the case to Spain’s Environmental Prosecutor’s Office.
The organization identified the animal as a bottlenose dolphin, a protected species, and argued that its death could constitute animal abuse resulting in death. Article 334 of the Spanish Penal Code provides criminal penalties for certain acts involving protected wildlife.
The dolphin incident comes as Ceuta remains under enormous pressure following the unprecedented migrant influx from Morocco in late July. More than 72,000 migrants crossed into the Spanish enclave during the surge, while thousands remain in the city weeks later.
The presence of migrants in and around the city has already produced tensions with residents, including protests and confrontations around makeshift camps. Trampolín beach, where the dolphin was found, has been one of the areas affected by the crisis.
The dolphin was not the only wildlife incident reported in Ceuta this week. El Faro reported that ecoservice workers also intervened after seeing a migrant capture a goose near the city’s reservoir, intending to hunt it. The workers took the bird away and released it.
Spanish animal-rights political party PACMA has condemned both incidents and called for authorities to identify and prosecute anyone responsible, while emphasizing that animal abuse should be investigated regardless of the perpetrator’s nationality or immigration status.
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