Dugong ( UPSC Prelims)

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News Context

The IUCN has approved a motion acknowledging India's first Dugong Conservation Reserve in Palk Bay during the IUCN World Conservation Congress 2025. This Dugong Conservation Reserve was initiated in 2022 by the Tamil Nadu government under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. It is part of the Species Recovery Programme and spans across 40 countries from East Africa to the Pacific, with the largest population found in Australia. In India, the highest concentration is in Palk Bay, followed by the Gulf of Mannar and the Gulf of Kutch. Dugongs are unique as the only marine herbivorous mammals that rely on seagrass, often referred to as "sea cows." They face threats from habitat degradation, hunting, and unintentional captures.