Photo: SIRACHAI ARUNRUGSTICHAI/AFP/GettyMarium, the dugong that became known as Thailand’s “sweetheart” after going viral in April, has died.According to theThe Guardian,the veterinarians that treated Marium off the island of Koh Libong, in south Thailand’s Trang province, believe that the dugong likely died from an infection due to ingesting plastic.The four-month-old Marium shot to fame in April, when adorable photos of the dugong hugging her vets went viral online. Last week, she began showing signs of stress and refused to feed following an encounter with another dugong in the ocean.Marium was moved to a nursery tank for closer monitoring on Wednesday, but died three days later, according toThe Guardian.An autopsy conducted on the popular dugong found signs of shock, as well as evidence of tiny pieces of plastic in her intestine, Thailand’s Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation noted in aFacebook post.Marium.Bruises were also found on Marium, likely the result of an aggressive encounter with another dugong.“Everyone is sad about this loss,” Nantarika Chansue, director of Chulalongkorn University,s aquatic animal medicine unit in Bangkok, told theThe Guardian. “The thing that needs to be resolved, if we’re going to preserve rare marine animals, is to protect the environment for both people and animals.”Up until Marium died, veterinarians and volunteers would paddle out to her in canoes to feed her several times a day and give her checkups,The Guardianstates.Dugongs are medium-sized marine mammals, and largely dependent on seagrass communities for survival. On average, their life span is 70 years, and the animals often weigh between 510 to 1,100 pounds, according to theNational Geographic. They are typically found in the warm coastal waters between East African and Australia, including the Red Sea, Indian Ocean, and the Pacific Ocean.The Guardianalso reported that a younger male dugong named Jamil was found in June in a similar location to Marium, and is currently being cared for in the Phuket Marine Biology Centre.
Photo: SIRACHAI ARUNRUGSTICHAI/AFP/Getty
Marium, the dugong that became known as Thailand’s “sweetheart” after going viral in April, has died.According to theThe Guardian,the veterinarians that treated Marium off the island of Koh Libong, in south Thailand’s Trang province, believe that the dugong likely died from an infection due to ingesting plastic.The four-month-old Marium shot to fame in April, when adorable photos of the dugong hugging her vets went viral online. Last week, she began showing signs of stress and refused to feed following an encounter with another dugong in the ocean.Marium was moved to a nursery tank for closer monitoring on Wednesday, but died three days later, according toThe Guardian.An autopsy conducted on the popular dugong found signs of shock, as well as evidence of tiny pieces of plastic in her intestine, Thailand’s Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation noted in aFacebook post.Marium.Bruises were also found on Marium, likely the result of an aggressive encounter with another dugong.“Everyone is sad about this loss,” Nantarika Chansue, director of Chulalongkorn University,s aquatic animal medicine unit in Bangkok, told theThe Guardian. “The thing that needs to be resolved, if we’re going to preserve rare marine animals, is to protect the environment for both people and animals.”Up until Marium died, veterinarians and volunteers would paddle out to her in canoes to feed her several times a day and give her checkups,The Guardianstates.Dugongs are medium-sized marine mammals, and largely dependent on seagrass communities for survival. On average, their life span is 70 years, and the animals often weigh between 510 to 1,100 pounds, according to theNational Geographic. They are typically found in the warm coastal waters between East African and Australia, including the Red Sea, Indian Ocean, and the Pacific Ocean.The Guardianalso reported that a younger male dugong named Jamil was found in June in a similar location to Marium, and is currently being cared for in the Phuket Marine Biology Centre.
Marium, the dugong that became known as Thailand’s “sweetheart” after going viral in April, has died.
According to theThe Guardian,the veterinarians that treated Marium off the island of Koh Libong, in south Thailand’s Trang province, believe that the dugong likely died from an infection due to ingesting plastic.
The four-month-old Marium shot to fame in April, when adorable photos of the dugong hugging her vets went viral online. Last week, she began showing signs of stress and refused to feed following an encounter with another dugong in the ocean.
Marium was moved to a nursery tank for closer monitoring on Wednesday, but died three days later, according toThe Guardian.
An autopsy conducted on the popular dugong found signs of shock, as well as evidence of tiny pieces of plastic in her intestine, Thailand’s Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation noted in aFacebook post.
Marium.
Bruises were also found on Marium, likely the result of an aggressive encounter with another dugong.
“Everyone is sad about this loss,” Nantarika Chansue, director of Chulalongkorn University,s aquatic animal medicine unit in Bangkok, told theThe Guardian. “The thing that needs to be resolved, if we’re going to preserve rare marine animals, is to protect the environment for both people and animals.”
Up until Marium died, veterinarians and volunteers would paddle out to her in canoes to feed her several times a day and give her checkups,The Guardianstates.
Dugongs are medium-sized marine mammals, and largely dependent on seagrass communities for survival. On average, their life span is 70 years, and the animals often weigh between 510 to 1,100 pounds, according to theNational Geographic. They are typically found in the warm coastal waters between East African and Australia, including the Red Sea, Indian Ocean, and the Pacific Ocean.
The Guardianalso reported that a younger male dugong named Jamil was found in June in a similar location to Marium, and is currently being cared for in the Phuket Marine Biology Centre.
source: people.com
