Hi Charles,
Great questions!
Typically dugongs that are injured are found in the shallow water (for example tangled in fishing nets and/or injured in some other way). If there’s a small boat (like what Dawul Wuru have) people will use a rope or similar to pull the dugong gently in to the shore where it can be put onto a stretcher in the shallows and lifted into a tank. Usually the dugong is quite exhausted by then so it will be placid. If there is a bigger boat (which Dawul Wuru currently don’t have access to) then the boat would likely have a small crane attached which could lift the animal out of the water and into a tank.
Dawul Wuru have recommended that the tank should have about 50cm – 1m of sea water in there to help relieve the weight of the dugong in the tank and allow for good air flow.
In terms of resources, we don’t have any specifically that we can link to but I recommend doing a quick google – there are a number of articles and videos which show a variety of techniques which can be used in dugong rescue.
It’s also important to note that Dawul Wuru have not been heavily involved in dugong rescue in the past, so even though the focus of your project is the tank, any additional tools that can be used would be advantageous.
I hope that helps, let me know if you have any further questions!
Rachel
Rachel Alford.
Charles Heyburn
Rachel Alford