The Life of Animals | Dugongs | Dugongs including the rarest marine animals in Indonesia is currently among the various rare animals that must be protected. Although many people refer to these animals as a mermaid, but these animals are not fish. Similar to dolphins, dugongs including mammals. The mother breastfeeding her child. Another difference with the dolphins, their anatomy, mermaid looks more like an elephant, do not eat fish because it includes species of mammal herbivores, who eat in the sea grass beds of sea grass.
Dugong has a tail that is similar to the tail fin whales, as well as having a unique head shape. Mouth circular shape so as to make easy dugong foraging by sweeping the surface of the sea. These mammals included in the order Sirenia, dugongidae family, and genus dugong. In addition to funny, dugongs also has a fairly large body like a submarine with an adult body length of about 2.5 - 3 meters with a weight of 225-450 pounds. Dugong has skin slightly bluish gray with a thickness of about 1 inch and slippery. Until now, mermaids easily found in Madagascar and East Africa through India to Australia. No scientist can ascertain the number of manatees that still persist in Indonesia. Only estimates of the number 1,000 to 10 thousand heads. But scientists believe this number dropped dramatically in recent years.
Lodging in Kalimantan, there are five locations known to the discovery of a mermaid, the Balikpapan Bay, Kota K., Karimata Island, Gulf of Kumai, and Derawan Islands. In 1996, these marine mammals have been declared extinct in Kalimantan. But four years later, the animal was re-discovered by the Foundation RASI (Rare Aquatic Species of Indonesia) in Balikpapan Bay and can still be seen today. Population decline due to the number of dugongs excessive hunting by humans for meat, two pairs of tusks, as well as other parts that can be commercialized. In addition, marine pollution and business development in coastal and littoral areas of a dugong food source is located. It is not comparable with the proliferation of dugongs are slow and limited the number of births. A fact which led to the decreasing population of dugongs.
In Balikpapan Bay, dugongs are threatened pub destroyed. The main threat due to loss of seagrass, which is the main feed mermaid. Sea grass is disappearing due to sedimentation and chemical pollution caused by the emergence of oil palm estates, like plantation of PT Agro Indomas in the Village Pemaluan and Sepaku (Paser Penajam Northern District). "This company has planted palm along the coast, banks of rivers, and creeks. By law this act clearly illegal, since they planted oil palm in the buffer zone, "said Stanislav Lhota, researchers from the Department of Zoology University of South Bohemia Cechnya Republic who devoted most of his life to preserving endangered animals in Balikpapan Bay. The opening of oil palm plantations has resulted in changes in water conditions and Pemaluan Sepaku River. Changes in water color from greenish brown to yellow can also be seen from satellite imagery. On the other hand, oil palm and industrial timber estate (HTI) of acacia wood by PT ITCI Hutani Manunggal in Ulu Sungai Pemaluan and Sepaku, also considered a source of herbicide wastes that can poison the water. Not only is harmful to humans, but also for the sea grass beds that are so important to the mermaid. While the sources of sediment and chemical pollutants that also occur in seagrass beds are also due to the development of industrial zones along the coast Kariangau. Mercury from industrial waste is not only accumulate in fish eaten by people, but also in the seaweeds are eaten dugong. Construction of two factories CPO (crude palm oil) outside Kariangau Industrial Area, namely, PT Kencana Indonesia dock in protected areas and PT Bumi Andalas Blooms in mangrove area, certainly led to Aberdeen no longer have a healthy coast.
Disaster increasingly larger, because many coal mine was opened along the Balikpapan Bay, especially in the District of PPU. Large firms such as PT Pratama Sing-Straight, known habitat is located very close to the dugongs and is a very significant source of pollutants. The presence of dugongs are also threatened by ship traffic, oil disposal, painting the ship, and cleaning the ship while in port. All human activity is a source of pollutants that can destroy sea grass and dugongs lead poisoning. "Noise is very disturbing mermaid boat engines. This causes them to look for food to areas further away, For the people of Aberdeen and surrounding areas who want to see manatees directly in their habitat, it is recommended to visit the region Tempadung River Estuary. Although the possibility to see these mammals very kecil.Tetapi Stanislav states, the construction of the factory CPO by jetty PT Kencana Indonesia in the region will cause the mermaid will be forced to leave the food source in the region.
Though manatees are no longer had more food resources than in the region. Logically, it will definitely punah.Tapi biggest threats to the dugong is not only due to the factors described above. There are still other factors the most fatal, namely the construction of bridges and roads connecting Balang Island along the Gulf coast of Aberdeen. Development which he believed would lead to large-scale encroachment and resulting in deforestation and degradation of ecosystems. "This development would threaten the ecological integrity of the entire Gulf of Aberdeen, not only habitat for dugongs, but also other ecosystems that live in Balikpapan Bay,
