Man arrested in Tamil Nadu for butchering and selling Dugong meat

A man was arrested in Tamil Nadu for killing and butchering Dugong, a rare sea mammal for its meat.

A man was arrested by the Tamil Nadu forest department for killing and butchering Dugong, a rare sea mammal for its meat. The man has been identified as Rakkappan of Nambuthalai. His brother Palani, who was working as his accomplice, is absconding. Officials went to inspect a warehouse in Thondi after they received information that Dugong was being sold for its meat there. The team discovered the brother cutting up a female Dugong weighing nearly 200 kg into cubes of meat.

ALSO READ | Tamil Nadu man returns home alive 24 hours after relatives ‘buried’ his bodyDugong, also known as sea cows, are rare sea creatures. They are classified as a ‘vulnerable’ species on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.Recently, the Tamil Nadu Government declared 500 sq km of Palk Bay area as a conservative park for Dugongs. This was aimed to protect the nearly 150 Dugongs inhabiting the region.