On the afternoon of August 19, people in Con Dao special zone discovered a sea cow (called dugong) stranded on the sand when the tide receded, so they quickly reported it to the authorities.
Upon receiving the news, the authorities quickly arrived, along with some local people to support, but this sea cow did not survive.
Talking to Lao Dong Newspaper, Mr. D.L said that while walking with a friend, he discovered this individual on Con Dao beach (the area opposite Phu Hai camp).
"At around 2:30 p.m., I saw a big animal waving on its tail from afar, I didn't know which species I should go with my friend to see. When I saw an animal resembling dugong sea cows, my friend and I scraped the soil, took water to support it and reported it to the police," said Mr. L.
According to Mr. L, this individual may have been stranded for quite a while due to the receding tides, so he gradually lost strength, and at noon, few people swam in the sea, so he was not discovered early. When many people came to support, this individual died. After that, the authorities brought the individual to the headquarters for settlement according to regulations.
Mr. Phan Trong Hien - Chairman of the People's Committee of Con Dao Special Zone - confirmed the information that a dugong sea cow was stranded and did not survive; and said that the authorities are currently verifying to clarify.
It is known that the cows (also known by many other names such as dugong, cui...) are rare animals at risk of extinction and are being strictly preserved.
Previously, in September 2020, a sea cow was also discovered dead of unknown cause in Con Dao.
