25.08.2022_Edi

There are no longer dugongs in China. In a study published Wednesday, Researchers declared the marine mammal, also known as the fork-tailed manatee or sea pig, extinct – only three people surveyed from coastal communities in China said they had seen a dugong in the past five years. The fork-tailed manatee, native to saltwater, had inspired numerous myths and stories about sirens and mermaids in China, like its relatives in other oceans. And this despite its rather inelegant appearance, which resembles a floating potato. According to researchers, precisely this ponderous progress has doomed the dugongs: Overfishing and ship accidents have now led to their extinction in China.