Srikakulam: Forest officials take steps to protect Olive Ridley turtles

Srikakulam: As the turtle nesting season has begun, the Forest Department has initiated measures for protection of these endangered Olive Ridley turtles with the assistance of local fishermen and an NGO, Tree foundation. The Olive Ridley sea turtles arrive at sea coast for mass nesting from January to Julya and later the turtles return to its respective coastal areas. Srikakulam coast is favourable for turtles for re-production process.

The turtle eggs are destroyed and damaged by wild animals like bears and wolfs and also stray dogs. As a result, population of turtles are diminishing every year. With an aim to protect them, forest officials in Srikakulam took initiated measures to efforts with assistance.

A total of 16 hatcheries are arranged across the sea coast in Srikakulam district at Kotcherla,

Ganagallavanipeta, Kumuduvanipeta, Gullapeta, Meghavaram, Bhavanapadu, V Kotturu, Metturu, Gedduru, Bhattigalluru, Baruvapeta, Isakalapalem, Kalingapatnam, Bhattivanipalem, Ch Kapasukuddi and Donkuru.

Forest range officers (FRO) of Srikakulam, Tekkali and Kasibugga ranges, R Jagadeesh, MVS Sekhar and BMK Naidu instructed the officials to protest the turtles. "We are making arrangements to keep eggs into pits along the sea coast and releasing them into the Bay of Bengal with assistance of local fishermen," said head of an NGO, Tree foundation, K Someswar Rao.