COCOA BEACH, Fla. (AP) _ Dolphin rescuers in central Florida are urging people to recycle their fishing gear after a young dolphin was found dead with a fishing line wrapped around its tail.
The animal’s body was discovered Monday in the Banana River off Cocoa Beach.
Megan Stolen, a research scientist with the Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute in Melbourne Beach, says the dolphin had probably been entangled for at least a week. Rescuers are urging people not to discard their lines near the water.
Florida Today reports that rescuers had been tracking the injured dolphin in hopes of treating it. They say he was about 5 feet long and less than two years old.
Hubbs-SeaWorld also received reports of two other dead dolphins in the area on Sunday.
