Her Royal Highness Princess Sirivannavari has proposed the name ‘Yamil’ for the orphaned baby dugong found stranded in the southern Thai province of Krabi on July 1st. The animal was rescued by villagers and sent for treatment and rehabilitation by veterinarians in Phuket, Marine and Coastal Resources Department director-general Jatuporn Burutpat said today.
He added that the Princess also agreed to sponsor the care of Yamil which, in the Yawi dialect, means “handsome young man of the sea”, and another baby dugong, Mariam, which means “beautiful young lady of the sea”, under the Coral and Marine Lives project initiated by the Princess.
Jatuporn said that the department and the officials were pleased with the concern shown by the Princess for the conservation of corals and marine life in Thai waters and her kindness in sponsoring the care of the two orphaned baby dugongs.
As an extension to the Princess’s project, he said the department had several related missions, such as the introduction of artificial corals into the sea, rehabilitation of damaged corals, the maintenance of damaged buoys for tourist boats and promotion of public awareness about coral conservation.
He disclosed that dugong are most commonly sighted in the Andaman Sea in the territory of Chao Mai national park and adjacent areas because there is abundant seagrass, which is the main food source for the dugong.
