Image source, Patrick LouisyThe mammal is believed to have inspired ancient tales of mermaids and sirens.
The dugong has only been seen by three people in the last five years.
The dugong is known as the ocean's most gentle giant and is vulnerable to accidents.
It is still present in other parts of the world.
The likely disappearance of the dugong in China is a devastating loss according to Prof Samuel Turvey from the ZSL.
The historical data on where dugongs had been found in China was reviewed by scientists.
Since 2000, there had been no verified reports.
The researchers used citizen science to find out when local people had last seen one.
Residents didn't see a dugong for 23 years. Three people have seen one in the last five years.
The dugong has been declared functionally extinct by the researchers at ZSL.
The dugong is a sea creature. It is the only vegetarian mammal in the ocean.
Similar in appearance and behavior to the manatee, but distinguished by its whale-like tail, it has led some to believe that it inspired ancient seafaring tales of mermaids.
It was vulnerable to hunters in the 20th century because it was close to shore in China.
dugongs were protected as a grade-one national key animal by the Chinese State Council in 1988.
The rapid population collapse is believed to be the result of the continued destruction of its habitat.
Industrial and agricultural pollution, coastal development, unregulated fishing and climate change are some of the causes of the loss of seagrass habitat.
Prof Turvey said the extinction of the house dugong in China should act as a warning to other regions that house dugongs can be wiped out.
The species is found in 37 other tropical regions, but is classified as "vulnerable" on the International Union for the Protection of Nature's red list.
30% of the world's oceans would be protected under a new UN treaty being signed in New York.
The dugong is a sad example of how humans are encroaching on the marine environment.
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