The headless remains of the sea mammal was found washed up at a beach on Koh Yao Yai, an island little more than 10km off Phuket’s east coast, yesterday evening (Nov 3).
“Villagers reported the discovery to us at 8pm, and we dispatched a team to recover the body today so would could inspect it,” said PMBC Director Dr Kongkiet Kittiwattanwong.
Dr Kongkiet and PMBC veterinarian Phatcharaporn Kaeomong examined the headless cadaver after it was brought to the centre at Ao Makham.
The sea cow, technically a dugong, was a three-metre long male weighing about 330 kilogrammes.
“It was more than 40 years old,” noted Dr Kongkiet.
“After examining the remains, we can confirm that the sea cow had its head cut off after it had died,” he said.
“We also found deep bruising from its left side to its back and that a 50cm section of its spine had been broken, as if the animal had suffered a very strong blow by a blunt object.
“We believe that this was most likely caused by a boat,” Dr Kongkiet said.
The severe trauma to the dugong’s back is what led Dr Kongkiet and his contemporaries at the PMBC to believe the dugong’s head was chopped off by opportunists.
“We suspect that people who found the dugong’s body cut the head off so they could keep the teeth, which have been known to be used as good luck charms,” said Dr Kongkiet.
“However, we have notified the police on Koh Yao to keep an eye out for any persons who may have been involved in this, and to keep an eye out for the teeth,” he added.