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Mounting dugong deaths cause alarm

PHUKET: Two more dugongs were found dead yesterday (July 14), one off the coast of Krabi and the other in Trang, bringing the death toll to five in four months, Phuket Marine Biological Centre (PMBC) Chief Kongkiat Kittiwatanawong has confirmed.

Monday 15 July 2019 09:00 AM


Officials examine a dugong carcass at Krabi yesterday (July 14). Photo: DNP

Officials examine a dugong carcass at Krabi yesterday (July 14). Photo: DNP

 

The dead dugong was pulled out of the sea between Koh Pu and Phi Phi Island. The other dead dugong was found washed ashore on Hat Samran beach in Trang's Hat Samran district.

The Krabi dugong was a 2.3-metre long male weighing about 400kg, said Worapoj Lomlin, head of Hat Noppharat Thara – Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park.

The dugong was transported to Rajamangala University of Technology Srivijaya's Trang campus for an autopsy, he said.

The Krabi dugong was the fourth death, and the Trang dugong the fifth, in the past four months, said Mr Kongkiat in his Facebook post yesterday.

Thon Thamrongnawasawat, deputy dean of Faculty of Fisheries of Kasetsart University, said the dugongs may have been hunted for their tusks which are made into talismans.

The expert said the earlier rescues of two young dugongs, named Mariam and Yamil, had captivated the public.

Those two young dugongs are now being nursed under the care of the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources.

Meanwhile, a group of more than 100 blacktip reef sharks were also spotted swimming near a wharf located on Hong archipelago in Krabi's Ao Luk district.

Some officials at Than Bok Khorani National Park said that was the largest number of blacktip reef sharks they had observed in the area.

 

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