The Hindu : Other States / Orissa News : Wait for Olive Ridleys begins

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Tuesday, Feb 03, 2009
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Wait for Olive Ridleys begins

Staff Reporter

Researchers fit transmitters to two Olive Ridley turtles
The beach where the turtles are to nest is cleaned

BERHAMPUR: The wait for Olive Ridley turtles to come and nest on the Rushikulya rookery coast has started.

Wildlife experts have started their work while forest officials are busy making efforts to make the beach secure for the nesting of these rare turtles. The researchers of Wildlife Institute of India, fitted Platform Terminal Transmitters to two Olive Ridley turtles which are now moving near the coast for mating. The PTTs are tracked by satellites.

Berhampur Divisional Forest Officer A.K.Jena said one of the two turtles fitted with PTT was a male. Usually PTTs are fitted to female Olive Ridleys as they come over to the coast to nest. In comparison to female Olive Ridleys there is very little information regarding the habit and habitat of males of the species.

The information received from these modern communication devices is expected to unravel some unknown facets of life of male Olive Ridleys after the mating season. According to Mr Jena a large number of mating Olive Ridleys can now be seen in sea near the Rushikulya river mouth coast.

Ban on fishing in the region continues. The beach where the turtles are to nest has been cleaned up from harmful debris with the help of volunteers from local villages. “No one can predict when the turtles would come over for mass nesting. We expect them to arrive during the last week of February,” said Mr Jena.

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