Endangered dugong found dead in Pulau Hantu

Sad loss: The picture of the dead dugong posted by scuba divers in a WhatsApp chat group. — The Straits Times/ANN

A critically endangered dugong was found dead off Pulau Hantu, an island located south of the mainland.

A video of the incident circulating on Facebook showed the marine mammal floating on its back yesterday morning.

Photographs of the dead dugong were also posted by scuba divers in a WhatsApp chat group, and later caught the attention of staff from the National University of Singapore’s (NUS) Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum.

At around 10.30am, Marcus Chua, mammal researcher at the museum, contacted the divers to get more details about the dugong’s location so its carcass can be retrieved by the scientists.

“The death of a dugong is unfortunate, as it is nationally threatened. But now that there is a carcass, we can find out the cause of death,” Chua said, adding that the museum will be working with Wildlife Reserves Singapore to find out the cause for its death.

Dugongs are marine mammals which are marine grazers, meaning they are herbivores and feed on sea grass, algae and weeds.

While they are known to be found in Singapore’s waters, sightings of these shy creatures are rare and scientists and marine enthusiasts often detect their presence by the trails they leave in seagrass beds. — The Straits Times/ANN