Dugong

====" Oh, you really know so much about the sea animals, do you want to see others ? said the carpet in a magic voice. " Can I ?please, I want to see dugong. " lola urged. " No problem! let's fly!" During their flying, lola continued her story about dugong. ==== ====The dugong (//Dugong dugo////n//) is a large marine mammal which, together with the manatees, is one of four living species of the order Sirenia. It is the only living representative of the once-diverse family Dugongidae; its closest modern relative, Steller's sea cow (//Hydrodamalis gigas//), was hunted to extinction in the 18th century. It is also the only sirenian in its range, which spans the waters of at least 37 countries throughout the Indo-Pacific, though the majority of dugongs live in the northern waters of Australia between Shark Bay and Moreton Bay. ==== ====The dugong has been hunted for thousands of years for its meat and oil. The dugong's current distribution is reduced and disjunct, and many populations are close to extinction. Despite being legally protected in many countries, the main causes of population decline remain anthropogenic and include hunting, habitat degradation, and fishing-related fatalities. With its long lifespan of 70 years or more, and slow rate of reproduction, the dugong is especially vulnerable to extinction. ====