Authorities Investigate Young Dugong Found Dead in Phang Nga
A young dugong found decomposed on a Phang Nga beach had its head, fins, and tail cut by sharp objects, prompting authorities to investigate whether the protected marine mammal was illegally tampered with after death.
A young male dugong was found beached near Noen Nang Norn beach in Takua Thung district, Phang Nga province, on August 1, 2025. The decomposed carcass showed signs of post-mortem mutilation, with its head, both fins, and tail cut by sharp objects. Natural Resources and Environment Minister Suchart Chomklin has ordered the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources to urgently investigate and determine the cause of death, and to coordinate with relevant agencies to pursue any offenders. Officials will face strict penalties for illegal tampering with protected wildlife.
A necropsy examination revealed the dugong was a juvenile male, approximately 150 centimeters long and weighing 24 kilograms, with an otherwise normal body condition. However, the carcass was in moderate decomposition, making the exact cause of death unclear. The severed head, fins, and tail appear to have been removed after death. Samples from the animal's digestive tract, which contained seagrass and rope-like foreign objects, have been sent to laboratory analysis.
The Department of Marine and Coastal Resources emphasized that dugongs are protected wildlife, and any unlawful tampering with their remains is a criminal offense under Thailand's Wildlife Conservation Act of 2019, carrying sentences of 3 to 15 years imprisonment and fines of 300,000 to 1,500,000 baht. Authorities will prosecute any identified offenders to the fullest extent of the law and urge the public to report injured or stranded marine animals, or tips about wildlife crimes, to the 24-hour hotline 1362.
