Over 2L Olive Ridleys lay eggs near river mouth in 2nd phase | Bhubaneswar News
Berhampur: A record number of over 2 lakh Olive Ridley sea turtles laid eggs near the Rushikulya river mouth in the second phase of mass nesting, which began on March 22 and ended on Thursday, officials said.
A total of 2,05,799 turtles laid eggs on the 5-km-long beach from Purunabandh to Bateswar from March 22 to 27. On Friday, 4,563 turtles laid eggs, sources said. In the first phase of mass nesting, a record number of 6,98,698 turtles laid eggs in the rookery from Feb 13 to 23. A total of over 9,04,000 Olive Ridleys laid eggs on the beach this year in both phases.
“In the second phase also, a record number of turtles laid eggs in the rookery,” said Dibya Shankar Behera, assistant conservator of forests (ACF).
The second phase of mass nesting in the rookery occurred after seven years. In 2018, over 37,000 turtles laid eggs in the second phase of mass nesting from April 20 to 27.
“Even though mass nesting of Olive Ridleys has taken place in recent years, it was not in such numbers earlier,” said Rabindra Nath Sahu, president of the Rushikulya Turtle Protection Committee, who is involved in the nesting process for several years.
“The conducive climate and good condition of the beach are some of the reasons for a large number of Olive Ridleys visiting for mass nesting in both phases this year,” said Basudev Tripathy, a turtle expert of Zoological Survey of India (ZSI).
Bivash Pandab, a senior scientist at Wildlife Institute of India (WII), said the Rushikulya river mouth has emerged as a major rookery for the turtles.
Behera said they took several steps to protect the eggs from predators like wild dog, jackal and hyena, deploying over 200 personnel, including local volunteers.
Berhampur: A record number of over 2 lakh Olive Ridley sea turtles laid eggs near the Rushikulya river mouth in the second phase of mass nesting, which began on March 22 and ended on Thursday, officials said.
A total of 2,05,799 turtles laid eggs on the 5-km-long beach from Purunabandh to Bateswar from March 22 to 27. On Friday, 4,563 turtles laid eggs, sources said. In the first phase of mass nesting, a record number of 6,98,698 turtles laid eggs in the rookery from Feb 13 to 23. A total of over 9,04,000 Olive Ridleys laid eggs on the beach this year in both phases.
“In the second phase also, a record number of turtles laid eggs in the rookery,” said Dibya Shankar Behera, assistant conservator of forests (ACF).
The second phase of mass nesting in the rookery occurred after seven years. In 2018, over 37,000 turtles laid eggs in the second phase of mass nesting from April 20 to 27.
“Even though mass nesting of Olive Ridleys has taken place in recent years, it was not in such numbers earlier,” said Rabindra Nath Sahu, president of the Rushikulya Turtle Protection Committee, who is involved in the nesting process for several years.
“The conducive climate and good condition of the beach are some of the reasons for a large number of Olive Ridleys visiting for mass nesting in both phases this year,” said Basudev Tripathy, a turtle expert of Zoological Survey of India (ZSI).
Bivash Pandab, a senior scientist at Wildlife Institute of India (WII), said the Rushikulya river mouth has emerged as a major rookery for the turtles.
Behera said they took several steps to protect the eggs from predators like wild dog, jackal and hyena, deploying over 200 personnel, including local volunteers.
A total of 2,05,799 turtles laid eggs on the 5-km-long beach from Purunabandh to Bateswar from March 22 to 27. On Friday, 4,563 turtles laid eggs, sources said. In the first phase of mass nesting, a record number of 6,98,698 turtles laid eggs in the rookery from Feb 13 to 23. A total of over 9,04,000 Olive Ridleys laid eggs on the beach this year in both phases.
“In the second phase also, a record number of turtles laid eggs in the rookery,” said Dibya Shankar Behera, assistant conservator of forests (ACF).
The second phase of mass nesting in the rookery occurred after seven years. In 2018, over 37,000 turtles laid eggs in the second phase of mass nesting from April 20 to 27.
“Even though mass nesting of Olive Ridleys has taken place in recent years, it was not in such numbers earlier,” said Rabindra Nath Sahu, president of the Rushikulya Turtle Protection Committee, who is involved in the nesting process for several years.
“The conducive climate and good condition of the beach are some of the reasons for a large number of Olive Ridleys visiting for mass nesting in both phases this year,” said Basudev Tripathy, a turtle expert of Zoological Survey of India (ZSI).
Bivash Pandab, a senior scientist at Wildlife Institute of India (WII), said the Rushikulya river mouth has emerged as a major rookery for the turtles.
Behera said they took several steps to protect the eggs from predators like wild dog, jackal and hyena, deploying over 200 personnel, including local volunteers.
Berhampur: A record number of over 2 lakh Olive Ridley sea turtles laid eggs near the Rushikulya river mouth in the second phase of mass nesting, which began on March 22 and ended on Thursday, officials said.
A total of 2,05,799 turtles laid eggs on the 5-km-long beach from Purunabandh to Bateswar from March 22 to 27. On Friday, 4,563 turtles laid eggs, sources said. In the first phase of mass nesting, a record number of 6,98,698 turtles laid eggs in the rookery from Feb 13 to 23. A total of over 9,04,000 Olive Ridleys laid eggs on the beach this year in both phases.
“In the second phase also, a record number of turtles laid eggs in the rookery,” said Dibya Shankar Behera, assistant conservator of forests (ACF).
The second phase of mass nesting in the rookery occurred after seven years. In 2018, over 37,000 turtles laid eggs in the second phase of mass nesting from April 20 to 27.
“Even though mass nesting of Olive Ridleys has taken place in recent years, it was not in such numbers earlier,” said Rabindra Nath Sahu, president of the Rushikulya Turtle Protection Committee, who is involved in the nesting process for several years.
“The conducive climate and good condition of the beach are some of the reasons for a large number of Olive Ridleys visiting for mass nesting in both phases this year,” said Basudev Tripathy, a turtle expert of Zoological Survey of India (ZSI).
Bivash Pandab, a senior scientist at Wildlife Institute of India (WII), said the Rushikulya river mouth has emerged as a major rookery for the turtles.
Behera said they took several steps to protect the eggs from predators like wild dog, jackal and hyena, deploying over 200 personnel, including local volunteers.
