Dugong

Dugong dugon

The dugong, Dugong dugon, is a large marine mammal in the sirenian group, related to manatees but recognized by its fluked tail, downturned grazing snout, and seagrass-based diet. It lives in warm coastal waters of the Indian and western Pacific Oceans, including bays, lagoons, and shallow continental shelves where seagrass meadows are available. Dugongs are slow-moving herbivores that surface to breathe and leave feeding trails through seagrass beds. Males may develop small tusks, and both sexes have dense bones that help them stay near the bottom while feeding.

Dugongs are not privately kept animals; human work with them centers on conservation, field research, rescue response, and coastal management. Their slow breeding rate makes populations sensitive to adult deaths from gillnet entanglement, boat strikes, habitat loss, pollution, and disturbance of seagrass. A few aquariums have kept dugongs, but their size, diet, and social needs make long-term care highly specialized and rare. Conservation teams monitor seagrass health, map feeding areas, work with fishers to reduce bycatch, and protect calving and resting habitat. Stranded or orphaned dugongs require expert marine mammal care and are difficult to rehabilitate successfully.