JULY 7,
2019
A
round-the-clock webcast starring two beloved baby dugongs in Thailand named
Mariam and Jamil went live Sunday, allowing a more in-depth look at the
celebrity sea cows.
Mariam
captured hearts in viral social media posts last month showing her playfully nuzzling
up to rescuers in shallow waters off southwestern Thailand, while Jamil washed
ashore further up the coast a week ago.
The
orphaned dugong duo are being held separately, but anyone with an internet
connection can now see them through a 24-hour livestream that uses eight camera
angles and scheduled feeding times.
"We
show them live because we don't want people to disrupt them by going to see
them at the current locations," said Kongkiat Kittiwatanawong, director of
the Phuket Marine Biological Center.
He added
cameras will also help with monitoring their recovery.
A little
after 2pm Jamil was seen splashing away in a small pool in the Phuket center.
Normally
dugongs don't leave their mothers until they are a little more than a year.
Mariam is
female and believed to be about six months old, while Jamil is half her age.
Experts
say interest in the dugongs has helped galvanise awareness in ocean
conservation.
Both were
found in southern Thailand, home to about 250 dugongs, which are closely
related to the manatee and classified as vulnerable.
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