Although they tend to be overlooked in favour of elephants, rhinos and giraffes, did you know that some Tusk partners protect animals you may not have even heard of?
When we think of endangered wildlife, often elephants, rhinos and giraffes spring to mind. Less likely, perhaps, is an image of a tiny, rather gooey snail.
In September, the BBC reported on an unusual conservation effort to save the glutinous snail, a species once widespread across Britain but now found in just one Welsh lake. Conservationists have been breeding the snails in captivity, with several zoos joining efforts to secure their future.
The glutinous snail might seem an unlikely candidate for a conservation success story. These tiny creatures are indicators of healthy freshwater ecosystems, yet they also remind us that even the most overlooked species have an important place in nature.
In fact, it is this rather slimy creature that has inspired our new series: the Unknown Species Spotlight. Every now and again, we’ll celebrate a lesser known (but no less important) animal protected by our conservation partners. First up is a gentle giant of the ocean: the Dugong.
Meet the Ocean’s Gentle Grazer
Often referred to as ‘sea cows’, dugongs are large, slow-moving marine mammals found in the warm coastal waters of the Indian and western Pacific Oceans. Closely related to manatees, they can grow to nearly three metres in length and weigh as much as 400 kilograms.
Despite their imposing size, dugongs are remarkably peaceful creatures. They spend much of their time grazing on underwater meadows of seagrass, using their distinctive downturned snouts to forage along the seabed.
Their appetite, however, serves a much greater purpose.
Through grazing, dugongs help maintain healthy seagrass ecosystems, encouraging plant growth and supporting habitats that shelter fish, store carbon and sustain coastal livelihoods. Protecting dugongs therefore means protecting far more than one species.
Unfortunately, these friendly creatures are facing an increasingly uncertain future.
Globally classified as “vulnerable” by the WWF, dugongs are threatened by hunting, accidental entanglement in fishing nets, coastal developments and the destruction of seagrass habitats. Their slow reproductive rate makes recovering from population declines particularly difficult.
Earlier this year, The Guardian reported a dramatic decline in the dugong population along Thailand’s Andaman coast, linked to widespread seagrass loss. It is a troubling reminder of how quickly these animals can disappear when their habitats deteriorate.
Protecting Dugongs in Madagascar
In northern Madagascar, Tusk partner Community Centred Conservation (C3 Madagascar) is working alongside local communities to safeguard marine ecosystems and the vulnerable species that depend on them.
Although dugongs have disappeared from much of the region, small populations persist in the north, where C3 has documented evidence of reproduction and identified important seagrass feeding grounds.
Rather than approaching conservation in isolation, C3 places communities at its heart. Through environmental education, sustainable fisheries management and locally managed marine areas, the organisation has empowered local communities to be committed to park management and monitoring, resulting in their being no dugong or sea turtle mortalities in the last two years.
A Lifeline in Mozambique
Further south, another Tusk partner, Wild Impact, is helping protect one of the dugong’s most important remaining strongholds.
Mozambique’s Bazaruto Archipelago supports East Africa’s last-known viable dugong population. Working collaboratively with African Parks and Mozambique’s National Administration of Conservation Areas, Wild Impact supports marine habitat monitoring and conservation initiatives.
Through its Oceans Without Borders programme, Wild Impact is helping safeguard the seagrass meadows on which Bazaruto’s dugongs depend. Its conservation teams have conducted 32 surveys covering seagrass, coral reefs and mangroves, alongside 423 fish-catch surveys to better understand fishing pressures. This research facilitates habitat protection and sustainable fishing practices, helping to secure a future for one of East Africa’s last remaining dugong populations.
Leo Gungulo is a Project Manager for Ocean Without Borders, based in Benguerra, the second-largest island in Mozambique’s Bazaruto Archipelago. Speaking on the importance of protecting the dugong, he said “We are very lucky to still have dugongs here in Bazaruto, when they have disappeared from so many other places. For me and our ranger team, it is very special to be part of protecting these animals. We are proud of the work we do, and we want our children and future generations to also see dugongs in our waters. It makes us happy to know that the work we do every day is helping to protect them.”
Every Species Deserves a Spotlight
The dugong may never command the same attention as Africa’s more celebrated wildlife. Its survival, however, is inseparable from the health of marine ecosystems and the communities that rely upon them.
From Madagascar to Mozambique, C3 Madagascar and Wild Impact demonstrate what dedicated, community-centred conservation can achieve.
Much like Britain’s glutinous snail, the dugong reminds us that conservation should not be determined by fame or size. After all, a species does not need to be well known to be worth saving.
