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The dugong is a mammal of the "Sirenian" family. Its known habitat is the coastal areas of the Indian Ocean, the Red Sea and the south-western Pacific Ocean.
It is a stocky marine animal with a heavy and swelling body. It measures 1 to 4 m long and weighs between 250 and 900 kilograms. It is herbivorous and can live up to 50 years.
Abundant in the lagoon of Mayotte in the past, there would be only a dozen species left today. They are in fact victims of their harmlessness, of the wild hunting by local fishermen for their highly valued meat.
Today, the species is protected. But the risk of total extinction of the species from the island is real. Indeed, their accidental catching in the nets of the Mahoran fishermen and the degradation of their marine habitat greatly reduce their chances of survival.
Their mode of reproduction is slow and does not allow the rapid renewal of the species. The females reach maturity between 10 and 17 years and give birth to a small cetacean every 2.5 to 7 years, after 12-14 months of gestation.
To save them today we must further strengthen the protective measures.
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