If you haven't heard of a dugong, you're not alone. A fisherman in Taiwan recently hauled one aboard and, without realizing that the highly endangered creature hadn't been seen alive in the country in 88 years, promptly released it back into its waters. Fortunately, he also snapped a picture, and people around the world have been thrilled and awed at the sight.
The Taipei Times shared the exciting news, explaining that the fisherman had caught the dugong accidentally in his net.
Dugongs are part of the broader manatee family, though they differ in several aspects, including their fluked tails. A related species, Steller's Sea Cow, was hunted to extinction by humans, but the dugong has managed to evade being completely wiped out despite also being hunted for meat, skin, and bones.
Unfortunately, habitat loss and water contamination continue to endanger the remaining dugongs. Their population has dwindled so severely that the species was declared extinct in Taiwan many years ago. And considering no living dugong had been seen in the country since 1937, the fisherman's find was thrilling to conservationists and animal lovers alike.
"Not just a legend! The beautiful myth reappears in Taiwan," said Jeng Ming-hsiou, with Academia Sinica's biodiversity research center, per Taipei Times. The myth Ming-hsiou is referencing is the mermaid myth, as many people attribute the origin of mermaid stories to dugong sightings.
Prior to this sighting, the most recent record of a dugong in Taiwan was merely remains found in 1986, the Taipei Times explained.
The find, while encouraging, is also a stark reminder that the few dugongs who persist face a number of threats, including being caught and killed as bycatch from fishing boats.
Many endangered marine species — including sea birds — around the world are killed each year through accidental bycatch and entanglement, leading them to starve or die from injuries. As a result, many governments have attempted to enforce stricter regulations on fishing practices, though much of the practice ultimately comes down to each boat responsibly managing its equipment to avoid unnecessary losses.
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