Dugong
Reproduction and parental care
A dugong reaches sexual maturity between the ages of eight and eighteen, older than in most other mammals. Females know that a male has reached sexual maturity by the eruption of the male's tusks, since tusks erupt in males when testosterone levels reach a high enough level. The age when a female first gives birth is disputed, with some studies placing the age between ten and seventeen years while others place it as early as six years. There is evidence that male dugongs lose fertility at older ages.
Reproduction and parental care
Despite the longevity of the dugong, which may live for 50 years or more, females give birth only a few times during their lives and invest considerable parental care in their young. The time between births is unclear, with estimates ranging from 2.4 to 7 years.
Human activity
While international cooperation to form a conservative unit has been undertaken, socio-political needs are an impediment to dugong conservation in many developing countries. The shallow waters are often used as a source of food and income, problems exacerbated by aid used to improve fishing. In many countries, legislation does not exist to protect dugongs, and if it does it is not enforced.
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