The C3 Dugong Quiz

C3 has discovered that many different taboos, or 'fadys' exist in Madagascar surrounding the Dugong, varying between individuals and community groups. Many fadys are associated with the sex organs of dugongs. It is a widespread belief that fishermen who have captured a dugong must swear that they have not had intercourse with it. At all times following capture, including during the slaughter, the genitals, teats and head must be covered from the general public, particularly women and children, to prevent discussion about the event. This is of particular importance for pregnant women.

Dugongs are the only herbivorous marine mammal and are more closely related to elephants than whales or dolphins.

Sharks found in tropical waters, salt water crocodiles and killer whales have all been known to attack and kill dugongs. Dugong young are particularly vunerable, more so than adults. However, by far the biggest threat to Dugongs is from human activities. C3 has found fishers gill nets pose the highest risk for Dugongs in West Indian Ocean through accidental capture!

The dugong and the manatee are related to the myth of sirens, enough to be classified in the order of Sirenians (or Sirenidae). The myth of sirens dates back to the civilization of ancient Greece. Among theories as to why this came about is the fact that the female dugong has her teats very close to the base of her flippers: often, while suckling, she holds her baby tight on her breast using her flippers, thus reminding sailors of a woman breast feeding!

The dugong’s range spans at least 48 countries and an estimated 140,000 km of coastline. The IUCN synthesis indicates that the dugong is declining or extinct in at least a third of its range, of unknown status in about half its range and possibly stable in the remainder – mainly the remote coasts of the Northern Territory and Western Australia. C3 has found evidence to suggest Dugongs are still present in some areas of Northern Madagascar but numbers have declined significantly in the last 20 years. If work doesnt continue to protect these remaining Dugongs the species will vanish from these water altogether!

The oldest recorded Dugong lived to 73 years old!!

C3 has found that some people believe that ground Dugong bones will cure stomach aches, whilst others believe that oil collected by boiling the dugong’s head can be used for curing ear infections!

Unlike other marine mammals, dugongs cannot hold their breath under water for very long. As their food source, seagrass, lives in shallow water they have no need to dive deep, this also means however they are more susceptable to accidental boat strikes as they spend most of their time near the surface!

The eastern side of the Red Sea is home to a large population of Dugongs numbering in the hundreds, and similar populations are thought to exist on the western side. In the 1980s, it was estimated there could be as many as 4,000 Dugongs in the Red Sea

C3's work shows that although Dugongs were present in large numbers in the past, the population has been in decline, particularly since the 1990s. Deliberate hunting is no longer commonplace, instead accidental capture in gill nets poses the greatest threat to the continuance of the species in the area.