On August 23, Con Dao National Park said that the conservation of cows (also known as dugon, cu cu, "fairy fish" of the sea...) became even more urgent, when it recently continued to record the death of an individual of this species in Con Dao.
According to the survey results from 2023, sea cows in Vietnam only appear in the Con Dao sea area, with about 12 individuals. However, from the beginning of 2025 to now, 4 deaths of cows have been recorded in Con Dao, of which the cause is not yet clear.
Most recently, on August 18, the death of a sea cow stranded on the beach of Con Son Bay was recorded as intact, with no signs of damage. Previously, on January 3, a sea cow was also found dead in Bai Vong and Co Ong areas, without the impact of external forces.
On February 24 and May 12, cows were also found drifting and dead, with no signs of external impact. The above reality shows that the dugong sea cow population in Con Dao is seriously declining if there is no timely intervention measures.
To preserve this rare animal, Con Dao National Park has issued a document requesting the Department of Science and Technology of Ho Chi Minh City to support research, determine the cause of death and implement solutions to protect and restore the population.
At the same time, propose a number of solutions to preserve dugong sea cows and their habitats such as: protecting and restoring marine grass when the area is seriously degraded; preventing pollution from tourism, residents, boats, plastic waste; strictly protecting the habitats of dugong sea cows; prohibiting fishing activities in areas with marine grass, preventing the need to eat fishing gear left behind...
In addition, it is necessary to raise public awareness in preserving dugong sea cows; move towards cooperation with leading conservation organizations to learn effective conservation experience. It is possible to establish a dugong Rescue Center in Con Dao, not only for this species but also for other marine species.
