Villagers rescue dugong stuck on beach in southern Thailand

This is the heartwarming moment villagers pushed a stranded dugong back to the sea.

Footage shows locals dragging the flailing sea cow from the shallows back into deeper waters off Koh Yao Yai island in the province of Phang Nga, southern Thailand, during the low tide on August 9.

Council member Wichai Mingpichan said he was on a walk along the beach when he spotted the marine creature rolling around near the shore.

He said: 'I called five people over, and we spent half an hour tying the dugong with rope. It was difficult because it kept moving, but I'm glad we managed to safely return it to the sea.

'It must have been feeding, and was stranded when the tide receded.'

It was reportedly the first time a dugong had been stranded in the Ban Laem Lan area.

The dugong is listed as 'Vulnerable' on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List and is included in Appendix I of Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.

Dugongs are gentle, herbivorous marine mammals that inhabit warm coastal waters, feeding mostly on seagrass. Sometimes called sea pigs, sea cows, or sea camels, they are closely related to manatees but are distinguished by their dolphin-like tails and their preference for shallow, tropical seas.