NEWS: DENR rescues dugong in Quezon

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DENR rescues dugong in Quezon
Ellalyn De Vera
January 11, 2014


The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has rescued a critically-endangered seacow, locally called dugong, which got stranded in the waters off Barangay Binulasan in Infanta, Quezon last Thursday.

Local fishermen reported the discovery of the stranding of the neonate male dugong to the DENR’s Biodiversity Management Bureau (BMB), formerly Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau.

“Fortunately, when the report of the stranded dugong came in, a technical staff from our Calabarzon (Region 4A) office, Forester Jeff Cruz, was in the area so he led the rescue, including the gathering of necessary data,” BMB Director Dr. Theresa Mundita Lim said.

According to her, the young marine mammal got stranded due to low tide.

She also said the rescued dugong, which measures 1.06 meters long, was temporarily transferred to the nearby barangay of Dinahican, also in Infanta, to shield it from strong waves but will be released soon when the sea gets calm.

“We have a technical team right now in the area led by a veterinary doctor, Dr. Rizza Salinas, to release the dugong as soon as the sea gets calm,” Lim said.

?Also called “duyong or baboy dagat,” dugongs belong to the animal group Sirenia. Like dolphins and whales, dugongs are air-breathing marine mammals.

“They could not stay long underwater; they have to surface from the water to breathe. Since they could not swim fast, they are an easy target of poachers who hunt them with nets, dynamite or spear guns,” Lim explained.

Dugongs swim at a speed of five kilometers per hour.

?Because dugongs are classified as critically-endangered species, the government prohibits their hunting, trading, transporting or possession by virtue of Republic Act 9147, also known as the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act, violation of which is punishable with imprisonment from six to 12 years and/or a fine from ?100,000 to ?1 million.

?Lim has urged coastal residents to report immediately dugong strandings to the nearest DENR office.

Source: www.mb.com.ph/denr-rescues-dugong-in-quezon/

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Baby dugong’s death tied to enteritis
21 Jan 2014
BMB-DENR

A preliminary necropsy showed that enteritis or inflammation of the intestinal tract may be the cause of death for the baby dugong named “Binu” that died at the rescue center of Manila Ocean Park (MOP) last Sunday.

This was according to Director Theresa Mundita Lim of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ Biodiversity Management Bureau (BMB), who cited the initial findings of the animal autopsy conducted on Monday by experts from the bureau and MOP, and volunteer-experts from Japan.

“The lesions noted during the post-mortem examination conducted on Binu on January 20, 2014 were indicative of enteritis,” Lim said. “Organ or tissue samples have been collected for further laboratory testing to fully determine the cause of death.”

Lim said a more thorough examination of the dugong would determine if its illness was bacterial or viral in nature.

While at the rescue center, Binu was fed with milk – a combination of infant formula and soy milk – which was the same formula used in the past to save newborn dugongs.

Such formula was proven effective to wean the dugong and introduce it to its known diet of seagrass.

Binu died 10 days after it was rescued in Infanta, Quezon. Its remains are kept in a freezer at MOP.

Lim said there is a plan to preserve the dugong’s skeletal structure for educational purposes.

Source: www.denr.gov.ph/news-and-features/latest-news/1670-baby-dugongs-death-tied-to-enteritis.html