Dugong Conservation Reserve

Published on 05 Dec 2025

• India’s first Dugong Conservation Reserve in Palk Bay, Tamil Nadu (448.34 sq. km) was officially recognized by IUCN. 

• Established in 2022 under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, it hosts 12,250 hectares of seagrass meadows, vital for dugong feeding, carbon storage, and marine biodiversity.

• Dugong (Dugong dugon): Marine herbivores called “sea cows,” feeding exclusively on seagrass. 

• They give birth to large young, live up to 70 years, and have no adult predators. 

• Dugongs are sirenians, related to manatees and elephants, found in coastal waters from east Africa to Australia. 

  IUCN Status: Vulnerable.

  
  

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Keywords:

Dugong Conservation Reserve Dugong Palk Bay Tamil Nadu IUCN Wildlife Protection Act 1972 seagrass sea cows