Tamil Nadu fisherman calls rescued dugong 'golden child' before letting it go
A fisherman in Tamil Nadu's Pudukkottai gently released a juvenile dugong caught in his net, calling out, "Run, run, golden child."
A heartwarming moment from the Tamil Nadu coast has captured the internet's attention after a fisherman was seen gently releasing a juvenile dugong back into the sea, affectionately urging it to "run" as it swam to safety.
The video was shared on X by Tamil Nadu Environment, Climate Change and Forests Secretary Supriya Sahu, who highlighted not just the rescue but the years of community-led conservation efforts that made such moments possible.
In the clip, the juvenile dugong, which had accidentally become entangled in a fishing net off the coast of Pudukkottai, is carefully freed by fishermen. As the marine mammal slips back into the water, one fisherman can be heard calling out in Tamil, "Run, run, golden child," in an emotional farewell that has resonated with viewers online.
Sharing the video, Sahu wrote, "These are the affectionate words of a fisherman as he calls out in Tamil while gently releasing a juvenile dugong, accidentally caught in his fishing net, back into the sea in Pudukkottai, Tamil Nadu."
She said the touching rescue reflected years of sustained awareness campaigns, trust-building and engagement with local fishing communities, supported by incentive mechanisms introduced with the help of district collectors.
Watch the video:
"What makes this beautiful moment truly unforgettable is the story behind it," she wrote, adding that these efforts are encouraging fisherfolk to actively participate in conservation. According to Sahu, 21 dugongs have been rescued since 2023, while around three acres of seagrass, the primary food source for dugongs, have also been restored to strengthen their habitat.
"The future of conservation will ultimately depend on how meaningfully local communities are involved in protecting wildlife and the ecosystems they share," she added, while praising the Chief Conservator of Forests, the Divisional Forest Officer of Pudukkottai and their teams.
Often called the "sea cow", a dugong is a large, gentle marine mammal that feeds almost exclusively on seagrass growing in shallow coastal waters.
Found in parts of the Indian Ocean and western Pacific, dugongs are listed as ‘Vulnerable’ by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) due to threats such as accidental entanglement in fishing nets, habitat loss and coastal development.
In India, they are found mainly in the Gulf of Mannar, Palk Bay, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and the Gulf of Kutch, making every successful rescue an important step towards protecting the species.
A heartwarming moment from the Tamil Nadu coast has captured the internet's attention after a fisherman was seen gently releasing a juvenile dugong back into the sea, affectionately urging it to "run" as it swam to safety.
The video was shared on X by Tamil Nadu Environment, Climate Change and Forests Secretary Supriya Sahu, who highlighted not just the rescue but the years of community-led conservation efforts that made such moments possible.
In the clip, the juvenile dugong, which had accidentally become entangled in a fishing net off the coast of Pudukkottai, is carefully freed by fishermen. As the marine mammal slips back into the water, one fisherman can be heard calling out in Tamil, "Run, run, golden child," in an emotional farewell that has resonated with viewers online.
Sharing the video, Sahu wrote, "These are the affectionate words of a fisherman as he calls out in Tamil while gently releasing a juvenile dugong, accidentally caught in his fishing net, back into the sea in Pudukkottai, Tamil Nadu."
She said the touching rescue reflected years of sustained awareness campaigns, trust-building and engagement with local fishing communities, supported by incentive mechanisms introduced with the help of district collectors.
Watch the video:
"What makes this beautiful moment truly unforgettable is the story behind it," she wrote, adding that these efforts are encouraging fisherfolk to actively participate in conservation. According to Sahu, 21 dugongs have been rescued since 2023, while around three acres of seagrass, the primary food source for dugongs, have also been restored to strengthen their habitat.
"The future of conservation will ultimately depend on how meaningfully local communities are involved in protecting wildlife and the ecosystems they share," she added, while praising the Chief Conservator of Forests, the Divisional Forest Officer of Pudukkottai and their teams.
Often called the "sea cow", a dugong is a large, gentle marine mammal that feeds almost exclusively on seagrass growing in shallow coastal waters.
Found in parts of the Indian Ocean and western Pacific, dugongs are listed as ‘Vulnerable’ by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) due to threats such as accidental entanglement in fishing nets, habitat loss and coastal development.
In India, they are found mainly in the Gulf of Mannar, Palk Bay, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and the Gulf of Kutch, making every successful rescue an important step towards protecting the species.
