Mass Nesting of Olive Ridley Sea Turtles at Rushikulaya Rookery of Orissa

Wildlife activists are excited as the Olive Ridley Sea Turtles have come back to mass nest in the Rushikulaya Rookery after a gap of one year. Rushikulaya is one of the five known Olive Ridley mass nesting sites in the world and the third in Orissa itself.

On the 5^th, March 2008, a group of about 9000 females came ashore to nest on the southernmost Rookery of Orissa. The number of nesting turtles is expected to increase over the next couple of days. WWF-India volunteers and local community members immediately swung into action helping the Forest Department in providing protection to the nests from land and avian predators. These volunteers will stay in the beach providing round the clock protection to the nests till they hatch and the hatchlings have safely entered the sea.

The mass nesting is expected to continue for another four to five days and it has brought back hope of their continued survival.

For more information, please contact:
Michael Peters
Moblie: 09437076597
E-mail: mpeters@wwfindia.net