Police in China are hunting for an unidentified man who was filmed walking along a beach with a small dolphin slung over his shoulder. According to several media reports, the dolphin was stranded on a beach in southern China. The reports quote eyewitnesses as saying that the man simply picked up the dolphin and walked away with it. A short clip that captured the man walking with the mammal over his shoulder went viral on social networking sites in China and provoked outrage, reports NDTV.

The man, who was reportedly a tourist, placed the small dolphin in his car and drove away, Channel NewsAsia quotes Chinese news website btime.com as reporting.

A video uploaded on YouTube by Shanghaiist shows a man in black swimming trunks carrying the dolphin slung over his right shoulder. In one hand, he carries his cellphone as he walks nonchalantly along the beach. A woman follows him. The person filming rushes ahead of him at one point, and the man smiles into the camera. The dolphin appears to be lifeless.

Dolphins are a protected species in China, reports Shanghaiist, quoting an official as saying that whether the dolphin was dead or alive, the man should have called the alerted authorities of its presence.

The video, which has gone viral in China, has angered many.

The incident reportedly took place over the Labour Day (May 1) long weekend in China, at a popular tourist destination in Guangdong province. The ‘dolphin-nabber’ is thought to have left Hailing Island and returned home. Local police say the man faces a harsh penalty when he's caught.