Residents near Tewantin are ruing the death of a small dugong that was a local resident in the Noosa River.
The animal was found deceased and bumping up against a local houseboat in the very early hours of Monday, before being pulled to a nearby sandbank and secured.
Local resident Simon Ford said the animal appeared quite badly injured.
“It had cuts all over it – it looked like from an outboard motor. It had one deep cut just behind its head,” Mr Ford told Sunshine Coast News.
“It’s pretty bad. It’s a beautiful beast.”
Mr Ford said that he had seen a dugong – possibly the same animal – in the river about one month ago.
He noted that heavy rains had moved the sand about in the river, and some parts were quite shallow. He was unsure if that may have contributed in some way to the dugong’s death.
It’s believed officers from Noosa Council have inspected the dugong.
Sunshine Coast News has recently reported about an increase in sick and injured turtles, as well as an emaciated dugong in Noosa River.
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