The gentle giant hasn't had a presence at all in China since 2008 and the latest research shows 'strong indications that this is the first functional extinction of a large mammal in China's coastal waters.'
The animal's population in China had been decreasing rapidly since the 1970s, with human activity, like fishing, threatening them. Being hit by ships and human-caused habitat loss also played a role in their decline.
For the study, an international conservation team conducted interview surveys in 66 local finishing communities in four Chinese provinces along the South China Sea and reviewed historical data of dugong distribution. The study is also a"sobering reminder" that extinctions can occur before effective conservation actions are developed.
The dugong is a strictly herbivorous marine mammal – the only of its kind. The so-called sea cows are dependent upon sea grass, which is also being rapidly degraded by human impacts. There are seagrass restoration efforts in China, but"restoration takes time that dugongs may no longer have" the society says.
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