Dolphin Famous For Eating Human Food Found Dead

For over twenty years, researchers at a laboratory in Florida watched one particular dolphin approach thousands of boats to ask humans for food. His behavior became so common, he was eventually named Beggar. From hot dogs to beer, he gulped it all down with gusto, frustrating many with his apparent disdain for foraging for his own food.

Earlier this week, Beggar was found dead, and according to MSNBC, researchers are speculating all of his mooching wound up playing a role in his passing. His digestive track reportedly contained fishing hooks and squid beaks, and his body showed signs of making repeated contact with boats. None of it proved harrowing enough to cause death on its own, but altogether, it eventually wore poor Beggar down.

Feeding dolphins is a fineable offense punishable by up to $100,000, but it’s not often enforced. At one point, researchers at the Mote Marine Laboratory followed the animal for 100 hours and found he was fed more than five hundred different foods. God only knows all the crazy things he ate over his twenty-plus year life. It might not have been good for his stomach, but given how often he kept coming back, most of it was probably delicious.

Pop Blend’s thoughts go out to all of Beggar’s dolphin friends, as well as the humans who grew to love him. Here’s to hoping there are Twinkies in dolphin heaven.