PHUKET, Thailand – Natural Resources and Environment Minister Suchart Chomklin has ordered an immediate necropsy to determine the cause of death of a male dugong calf that became separated from its herd and died despite intensive treatment by veterinary teams from the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR). The calf, measuring 112 centimeters in length and weighing 25 kilograms, was found stranded at Laem Son Beach in Ranong province after becoming separated from its herd. Residents rescued the animal before it was transferred to officials from Laem Son National Park and later to the Sireetarn Rare Marine Animal Rescue Center in Phuket for specialized care.
Veterinarians found the dugong to be underweight and suffering from low blood sugar, moderate to severe dehydration, and abdominal bloating caused by prolonged starvation. The calf also had bruising believed to have resulted from the stranding. Staff from the rescue center, the Upper Andaman Sea Marine and Coastal Resources Research Center, and volunteers provided round-the-clock care, but the animal later went into shock and died despite emergency resuscitation efforts. The DMCR said a comprehensive necropsy is underway to determine the exact cause of death. The results will be used to improve the treatment of stranded and injured marine animals and to support long-term efforts to conserve and restore Thailand’s dugong population. (NNT)
