Calls for investigation into Wonga dugong death
FNQ wildlife
Mystery surrounds the death of an about 2m dugong that washed up on Wonga Beach yesterday with multiple cuts and shallow wounds all over it.
Some have speculated online that the rare marine mammal may have become caught in a net, while others said it is common for dugongs to be covered in markings as they interact roughly a lot during mating and at other times.
Wonga local Dave Maunder, who called the State Government Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service to report the death, said he hoped there would be a full investigation into what happened to the animal.
“I was just concerned about the dugong death, so I reported it to parks and wildlife,” Mr Maunder said.
“It’s just a sad case to see a dead dugong on the beach.”
Fellow Wonga local and former biologist David Cook said the animal was found near the site of occasional illegal gillnetting, as well as legal Indigenous netting, but scarring on dugongs was also common.
“Whilst this is the most scarring I personally have seen on a dugong, both sexes often, or usually, carry varying amounts of scars like these,” he said.
“This is often from male on male fighting or from rough interactions between males and females.”
Officers from QPWS collected the carcass from the beach yesterday afternoon.
