PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan — A sea cow or dugong was found trapped in a fish pen in Barangay Bancao-Bancao, Puerto Princesa City on Thursday morning.

The endangered and rare creature, stuck for over eight hours, was successfully rescued and returned to deeper waters by a team comprising local residents, the Philippine Coast Guard and specialists from the Large Marine Vertebrates Research Institute Philippines.

PO1 Andy Villacillo of the PCG stated that the dugong — weighing around 400 kilos — was likely trapped due to low tide, with the fish pen's owner discovering it early on 30 November.

He added that the dugong is a familiar sight in the Bancao-Bancao waters, where it is often spotted in the morning, grazing on sea grass with a companion.

"The fishermen here say that they often see two of them together. It has a companion. It's possible that the other one managed to leave before the tide went down. This one, however, really got trapped inside the fish pen," Villacillo said.

Dugongs, reaching up to about 3 meters in length and weighing as much as 400 kilograms, are notable for their streamlined bodies and large size. They navigate using their front flippers and possess a distinctive snout, essential for foraging on bottom-dwelling sea grasses.

These gentle and slow-moving creatures play an important role in marine ecosystems, especially in sustaining the health of sea grass beds. In the Philippines, dugongs are found in various regions, including Palawan and parts of the Visayas, where they are an integral part of the local marine environment.

Meantime, Sally Snow from LAMAVE stressed that careful handling is required to transport the dugong from the distant fish pen to a safer area, aiming to minimize further distress to the animal.

"We don't want to cause any more distress to the animal. And right now, because it's in a pool of water, it is good," Snow said.

LAMAVE, a Filipino NGO, is committed to protecting marine megafauna throughout the country.

Despite their ecological importance, dugongs face the threat of extinction. They are endangered due to factors such as habitat degradation, water pollution, and the risk of entanglement in fishing gear.

Illegal hunting, though less common, also poses a threat. Conservation efforts in the Philippines include habitat protection, research, and community-based initiatives, which are essential to ensure the survival of these unique and significant marine mammals.