India's first dugong conservation reserve to come up in Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu state government has announced to set up India’s first dugong conservation reserve at the northern part of the Palk Bay. Dugong are commonly known as sea cows. According to Wildlife Institute of India (WII) estimates, only 200-250 Dugongs are left in the wild, of which 150 are found in the Palk Bay and Gulf of Mannar in Tamil Nadu.

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About the reserve:

The reserve will span the northern part of the Palk Bay from Adiramapattinam to Amapattinam. The reserve will cover an area of more than 500 sq km.
Marine biologists and conservationists have long demanded a reserve as the population of dugongs, as known as sea cows, in Indian waters has been dropping to dangerous levels.
According to Wildlife Institute of India (WII) estimates, only 200-250 Dugongs are left in the wild, of which 150 are found in the Palk Bay and Gulf of Mannar in Tamil Nadu, among the last surviving natural habitats for dugongs in the world.

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