Krabi – A dugong was discovered dead with its fangs cut out near Tha Maprao Bay on Friday, November 8th. The Thai Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) reported the incident to the Phuket Express.
The DMCR was notified by a long-tailed boat tour operator who found the dead dugong floating approximately 500 meters from the shore. The dugong was brought back to land for examination.
Upon arrival, DMCR officials found a female adult dugong measuring 2.9 meters in length and weighing 200 kilograms. It is believed that the dugong had been dead for at least 24 hours before it was recovered. Both of its fangs had been removed.
The Phuket Express noted that some people believe dugong fangs are holy and use them to make amulets. The dugong is one of Thailand’s Reserved Animals and is nearly extinct. Trang Province is known to have a significant dugong population due to its abundant seagrass beds.
The incident has raised concerns about the illegal wildlife trade and the protection of endangered species in Thailand.
Related articles:
A dugong was found dead with its mouth tied with rope and fangs cut out on a beach in the Chaiya.
A headless dugong was found on a beach in the Nuea Klong district.
In total, 16 dugongs were found alive in Phuket recently.
