Rare dugong washes ashore, dies on Ho Chi Minh City island

On Tuesday afternoon, residents walking along the shoreline discovered the dugong, more than two meters long, lying exhausted in Con Son Bay after the tide had receded.

Several residents tried to save the animal, but it died shortly afterward.

The case was reported to the Con Dao National Park management board and local authorities, who then teamed up with locals to bring the carcass ashore for handling in accordance with regulations.

Dugongs, a herbivorous marine species known locally as sea cow, live in tropical coastal waters and rely heavily on seagrass beds.

Globally, their population is estimated at only about 50,000 individuals, scattered across the Indian and Pacific Oceans.

They are sometimes called ‘mermaids’ because of their human-like shape when swimming, giving them cultural and spiritual significance in many countries.

In Vietnam, dugongs are found mainly in Phu Quoc and Con Dao waters, where they are strictly protected.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature, or IUCN, classifies dugongs as vulnerable to extinction.