What is a dugong? Manatee-like animal declared extinct in China

The dugong is a vulnerable animal still occasionally seen in other parts of the world
Dugongs have been declared extinct in China
AFP via Getty Images
Seren Morris24 August 2022

The dugong, a manatee-like creature that is thought to have inspired myths about mermaids, has been declared extinct in China.

There have been no verified sightings by scientists of the dugong in China since 2000, while only three people have reported seeing the animal in the past three years.

Although there are still dugongs in other parts of the world, the species faces the threat of overfishing and shipping accidents, due to its slow, relaxed behaviour.

The Zoological Society of London (ZSL)’s Prof Samuel Turvey, who co-authored the research article, said: “The likely disappearance of the dugong in China is a devastating loss.”

The researchers said: “Our study provides evidence of a new regional loss of a charismatic marine megafaunal species, and the first reported functional extinction of a large vertebrate in Chinese marine waters.

“This rapid documented population collapse also serves as a sobering reminder that extinctions can occur before effective conservation actions are developed.”

But what are dugongs and why are they at risk of extinction?

What is a dugong and why is it different from a manatee?

Dugongs are similar to manatees but are strictly marine animals and, unlike manatees, they have a dolphin fluke-like tail.

They are the only strictly marine herbivorous mammals, and measure between 8 feet to 10 feet.

Dugongs have been found in the coastal waters of 37 tropical countries, from East Africa, Vanuatu, to the southwestern islands of Japan.

They have been recorded in China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Brunei, and the Philippines.

Dugongs are also known as “sea cows” because of how they graze on sea grasses, and for their slow and relaxed movements.

Why have dugongs been declared extinct in China?

Researchers say that “even if some individual dugongs still remain in Chinese waters, the dramatic population decline experienced by the species in recent decades is highly unlikely to be halted or reversed under current conditions with the continuing deterioration of coastal ecosystems in the northern SCS.”

They added: “Dugongs have minimal hope of even short-term survival if they have not already disappeared.”

In the 20th century, dugongs were hunted for their meat, oil, bones, skin, and teeth, before they were then listed as a protected animal.

But dugongs have since suffered from destruction of their seagrass habitat, which is being destroyed by pollution, unregulated fishing, and climate change.

Dugongs are listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, meaning they are at high risk of extinction in the wild.

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