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On the brink
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Olive Ridleys are being threatened by urbanisation. PRASSANA SRINIVASAN on the campaign to conserve them
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CHENNAI HAS played host to many fascinating personalities from around the world, some of them special like our good old visitor, the Olive Ridley turtle. Year after year, these turtles visit the shores along the East Coast for nesting. Until about a decade or two ago, innumerable turtles made Chennai their nesting ground. The numbers have dwindled drastically, so much so that sea turtles have been declared endangered. This meant taking up conservation efforts immediately. Every year, naturalists from around the city `stand guard' during the nesting season (November to March). Turtle walks along the East Coast and screening films are also part of the conservation efforts.
This year, the Madras Crocodile Bank Trust's (MCBT) Centre for Herpetology has launched an awareness campaign for fishermen in the nearby villages through mobile exhibitions held every Sunday afternoon.
Harry V. Andrews, the bank's director, says, "For the second consecutive year, we are trying to educate people about turtle-conservation with the help of posters and pictures. The added attraction this time are weekend puppet shows by the children of the fishing community."
"This has been effective as youngsters are naturally responsive to stories," says Kundhavi Devi of the Croc Bank.
The bank has also requested the villagers to inform them of dead turtles or eggs found in that area. "Creating awareness near fishing villages is comparatively easy because many of them are volunteers. Groups of young fishermen put their fishing nets as a protective fence around the eggs," says Harry.
Among the strategies that the MCBT has drawn up to save sea turtles is the "Switch Off Lights Save Lives" campaign. Sea turtles are phototropic, programmed by evolution to move towards light. In an undisturbed beach, moonlight is the only source of light and the adult as well as the hatchling move in the direction of the sea that reflects the moonlight. With many buildings in the vicinity, lights from them keep turtles away from the sea. "Asking those living near the beach to switch off lights is part of the initiative. The problem is more from the beach resorts. Although the resorts are willing to cooperate, their customers want the lights on. So we plan to talk to the visitors at the resorts and take them on turtle walks," says Harry.
The MCBT's conservation activities extend to Andaman and Nicobar Islands. If you want to volunteer for the cause, call 04114-272447 or mail mcbtindia@vsnl.net
Some Facts
* Five species of turtles are found on the Indian coast — Olive Ridley, Loggerhead, green, hawksbill and leather back.
* Turtles travel thousands of kilometres from feeding ground to the breeding ground.
* Adult female sea turtles return to the same nesting ground or `natal beach' where they were born to nest again. And most turtles nest more than once during a season.
* A female lays about 60-150 eggs.
* Sex of the hatchlings is determined by the temperature. Higher temperatures produce female and lower temperatures produce male.
* Female sea turtles never come back to mother the eggs once laid.
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