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Showing posts with the label dugongs

Thailand: Second dugong calf washed ashore dies

Tan Hui Yee Straits Times 23 Aug 19; BANGKOK - An orphaned dugong under the care of Thai veterinarians died on Thursday (Aug 22), less than a week after the loss of another calf which became a social media darling for its human-friendly antics. Jamil, a three-month-old male dugong, was found washed ashore in the southern province of Krabi on July 1 with abrasions on his body, and had been kept under close watch in an enclosed pond at the Phuket Marine Biological Center. Thailand's Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) announced on its Facebook page that the mammal had been sent for surgery to Vachira Phuket Hospital on Thursday evening to remove seagrass that had clogged his stomach after his intestines stopped working. That had caused a build-up of gas in his intestines and was putting pressure on his lungs, making breathing difficult. But Jamil stopped breathing after he was returned to the nursery pond. "The medical team tried to save him with CPR, but couldn...

Thailand: Beloved baby dugong 'Mariam' dies with plastic in stomach

Channel NewsAsia 17 Aug 19; BANGKOK: A sick baby dugong whose fight for recovery won hearts in Thailand and cast a spotlight on ocean conservation has died from an infection exacerbated by bits of plastic lining her stomach, officials said on Saturday (Aug 17). Mariam washed up in shallow waters off southwestern Thailand months ago and photos of her nuzzling playfully next to rescuers quickly went viral. The discovery soon after of another orphaned dugong brought the sea cows celebrity status, the attention of a Thai princess - who named the second one "Jamil" - and round-the-clock webcasts giving viewers a front-row seat to feedings and treatment. But Mariam died just after midnight after going into shock and efforts to resuscitate her failed, Chaiyapruk Werawong, head of Trang province marine park, told AFP. "She died from a blood infection and pus in her stomach," he said, adding they found small amounts of plastic waste in her intestinal tract. An autopsy showe...