PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan — Environment authorities and officials of a seaside barangay in Roxas town, northern Palawan, rescued a stranded female dugong or seacow early Tuesday morning.
Bong Libiran of the environmental watchdog Bantay Dagat Roxas said the female dugong (Dugong dugon), measuring eight feet in length and weighing around 150 kilograms, was discovered beached near the mouth of a river in Barangay Malcampo shortly after 6 a.m.
Initially, village officials and Bantay Dagat Roxas personnel, who discovered it, believed it to be lifeless. However, when they moved it to deeper water, it exhibited signs of life and started moving.
“Before we left the area, we monitored it, and it seemed fine and strong. It’s still in the vicinity near the entrance to the river in Malcampo. We left but requested the captain to keep an eye on it,” Libiran said.
He speculated that the marine mammal became trapped because it was grazing on seagrass in the vicinity and failed to notice that it was already low tide.
They also treated some long wounds on the dugong’s body before returning it to the deep water. It appeared to be of advanced age and had barnacles growing on it, according to him.
Dugong sightings in Malcampo have become more common, according to Libiran, due to the presence of seagrass, which is their food.
“They have plenty of food there, so their population is increasing in that area. Just last week, we also rescued a sea turtle. We tell the residents there not to disturb or capture them if they come across any,” he said.