Mariam learns about low tides, learns to graze on seagrass

Pathompong Jongjit, a veterinarian of the Trang-based 10th Marine and Coastal Resource Administration Office, said Mariam has gained weight and is drinking more milk and eating more seagrass, all of which are positive signs for her continued development. 
Mariam was spotted when she beached on the Krabi coast in late April. She was rescued and relocated to the coast of Koh Libong to be nannied by officials from the office and volunteers. 
Pathompong said Mariam now drank about 3,500 milligrammes of milk and ate about 100 to 200 grammes of seagrasses fed to her by her human nannies each day.
She now weighs about 29.50 kilogrammes and has grown to about 120 centimetres in length.
The vet said the baby dugong was gaining weight slowly because she was in the process of adjusting to the new environment and to the care by human nannies. However, the weight gain was a good sign, he added.
He said the baby dugong had now learned to swim back to the deeper water at low tide instead of letting herself be beached early morning. 
When led out to the seagrass field by an orange canoe, which officials call “Mother Orange”, the baby dugong started to graze on the grass under water on its own and could feed for longer. 
However, with strong waves from the monsoon turning the water murky, officials are unable to see how much grass the baby dugong ate at one time, the vet added.
Pathompong said the officials and volunteers are now monitoring heartbeat and lung sounds and had been taught to collect blood samples and excrement of the baby dugong to allow for monitoring of her health.
The only concern for the officials is the upcoming strong winds and waves brought by the monsoon season as these conditions could make it dangerous for officials and volunteers to be in the water with Mariam, Pathompong added.