Malaysia: Villagers discover dead dugong beached in Pengerang

The Star 2 Sep 12;

JOHOR BARU: The carcass of a 2.1m-long male dugong has been found beached at the banks of Sungai Rengit in Pengerang here.

It might have been dead for more than a day, said fisherman Hong Thian Hwa, 27.

“The dugong had many slash-like wounds on its body and head,” he said, adding that nobody wanted to move the carcass because of its stench.

The dugong is herbivorous and feeds largely on seaweed. It is an aquatic mammal with a barrel-shaped body, flipper-like forelimbs, no hind limbs, and a triangular tail.

Hong said the area was known to be a dugong habitat and fishermen frequently spotted them at sea. The dugong would sometimes come close to the fishing boats.

“The dugong is quite huge and can weigh up to half a tonne.

“This is the first time villagers have found a dead dugong washed up along Sungai Rengit,” he said.

Johor Fisheries Department director Abdul Hamid Yasin said the carcass would be sent to the Veterinary Department for a post-mortem.

“Dugongs are known to be found along the coastline of Johor, especially in Pengerang, Pasir Gudang and Gelang Patah,” he said.

In January 1999, fisherman Atan Husin found a baby dugong trapped in his fishing net.

He kept and treated the injured dugong, which he named Si Tengang.

However, his “pet” died after it was released a few days later.