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Piecing together the Ridley riddle
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Shekar Dattatri's book "Riddle of the Ridley" was launched recently
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PHOTO: V. SAKTHIVEL
ON THE TURTLE TRAIL Shekar Dattatri at the book launch
A photograph, in Shekar Dattatri's new book "Riddle of the Ridley", shows a cluster of baby Olive Ridleys their eyes half-shut, almost kissing the glass that covers a lit bulb in a torch. The Ridleys are drawn to light, and this visual conveys their vulnerability on the beaches that run alongside roads with bright lights and fast wheels.
The book by the wildlife filmmaker, launched recently, tells the tale of the Ridleys, the arribada season (the arrival of the turtles, hatching and waddling back into the sea), the issues that threaten their survival, how to prevent them and the laws that can prevent their poaching. Only one in 1,000 hatch, says Dattatri, but most are accidental deaths, rather than due to poaching. The book, targeted at children eight years and above, aims to increase awareness about these creatures.
Dattatri has been fascinated with the Ridleys since his first turtle walk at the Madras Crocodile Bank, when he was 15. "Many people go to distant jungles to see lions and elephants, but here all you have to do is walk down to your neighbourhood beach to see these species which has survived for over 200 million years," he says. Many things about the Ridleys intrigue him, especially their ability to travel miles (from the South of Sri Lanka to the beaches along the East coast of India) to hatch and their return to the beach where they were born, to hatch.
He was once spellbound at the sight of millions of Olive Ridleys coming onto the beach in Orissa; wave after wave bringing thousands of them. Thirty-five to 40 days later, he saw millions of little hatchlings waddling back into the sea and many years later (in 2003), he saw many carcases on the beaches, caused by the mechanical trawling of the seas. He made a film titled "The Ridley's Last Stand" to show the impact of trawling, and after its screening, Sandhya Rao and Radhika Menon of Tulika Publishers asked him to write a book on the turtle.
About why he wants to reach out to young readers, Dattatri says, "They are not cynical and sometimes all it takes is a book, a film, or a turtle walk to sensitise them. Almost all the people I know in the wildlife conservation field have been drawn to the cause by one of the three reasons."
December to March is the arribada (Spanish for arrival) when millions of Olive Ridleys migrate from the South of Sri Lanka to the beaches in the East Coast of India. And a turtle walk has been organised by Madras Crocodile Bank Trust on January 13. Those interested in participating can email mcbtindia@vsnal.net or call 27472447/2953, on or before January 11. The programme will include a film show, a crocodile night safari, campfire discussion and a turtle walk towards Kovalam. The registration fee for adults is Rs. 100 and for children below 10 years, Rs. 50.
"The Riddle of the Ridley" (Rs. 125) is available in English, Hindi and Tamil.
ASHA MENON
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