Thai veterinarians nurture lost baby dugong with milk, sea grass

BANGKOK — A baby dugong, a large ocean mammal, that has developed an attachment to humans after being separated from its mother and getting lost off southern Thailand is being nurtured by marine experts in hopes that it can one day fend for itself.

The estimated 5-month-old female dugong named Marium has become an internet hit in Thailand after images of marine biologists embracing and feeding it with milk and sea grass spread across social media.

The dugong is a species of marine mammal similar to the American manatee and can grow to about 11 feet in length. Its conservation status is listed as vulnerable by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.

Marium was spotted alone near a beach on Ko Poda island in Krabi province in April.

Marium has attained fame on social media, and images of it bonding with its human guardians have been widely published by Thai media. It also attracts crowds on Libong island, where its feeding is often watched by scores of people crowding the seashore.

Veterinarians say they need to continue looking after Marium for at least another year until it can be weaned off of bottled milk.