by Jess Zimmerman. A “techno party” in Switzerland may have killed a dolphin at a nearby aquarium. The dolphin declined and died suddenly over the course of a couple of hours, and animal protection groups are concerned that loud music from the 16-hour party, which was less than 60 yards from the facility, stressed the animal to death. Or possibly it just really, REALLY wasn't into techno. The local veterinary authority is saying that the music wasn't loud enough to kill anything: [T]he Veterinary Office from canton Thurgau saw no reason to ban the party, arguing that the facility where it would take place was built in such a way that the noise from outside would not prove a disturbance. In a pre-party statement, the office said there was no proof that exposure to loud noises for a few hours would affect the well-being of the dolphins. Seriously, though, did you have any idea techno music could even potentially kill dolphins, to the point where veterinary offices have to release statements saying that they're pretty sure a few hours will be fine? That is either a serious indictment of the effect of human influence on our environment, or some hardcore music snobbery.

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