Adult dugong dies as juvenile rescued in Antique

ILOILO CITY—An adult dugong was found dead along the coast of Sebaste, Antique, on Monday, a day after residents rescued a stranded juvenile of the threatened marine mammal in neighboring Caluya town.

The adult dugong was found along the shoreline of Barangay Aras-Asan, where authorities examined the carcass and arranged for its proper handling.

Flord Nicson Calawag, a licensed fisheries technologist and biodiversity researcher, said the dugong appeared to be a large adult based on photographs, but its cause of death could not be determined without a necropsy.

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He said strong waves brought by the southwest monsoon, or “habagat,” may have washed the carcass ashore, but this would not establish what caused the animal’s death.

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A necropsy could determine whether the dugong died from fishing-related injuries, marine debris, vessel collision, disease or other natural or human-related causes, Calawag said.

The discovery came a day after residents helped a juvenile dugong that became stranded in shallow water during low tide on Liwagao Island in Barangay Sibolo, Caluya. The animal was successfully returned to the sea on Sunday (Sept. 6).

Stranded

There was no indication that the two incidents were related.

Dugongs depend largely on seagrass meadows in shallow coastal waters and face threats including accidental capture in fishing gear, vessel strikes and habitat loss.

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The dugong is classified as Critically Endangered under the Philippines’ national conservation assessment, while the International Union for Conservation of Nature lists the species as Vulnerable globally.

Authorities urged the public to avoid disturbing stranded dugongs and other marine wildlife and to report sightings to the proper authorities.