Bhubaneswar: Olive Ridley turtles have begun arriving for their annual mating season at Rushikulya coast in Odisha’s Ganjam district.
The mating season precedes the mass nesting of these endangered turtles at Rushikulya, which is one of their major rookeries along the Indian coast.
According to the Forest Department, a few mating Olive Ridley pairs were spotted at sea at a distance of around six kilometres from Purunabandha near the Ruhsikulya river mouth. “Our patrolling team located three to four mating pairs at a single spot, while some singular mating pairs were located nearby on Tuesday,” said Khallikote Forest Range Officer, Dilip Kumar Martha.
Usually, the mass mating of Olive Ridleys picks up in December and continues till the month of January. After this period, mating male turtles return while the females remain for the mass nesting season.
Meanwhile, the Forest Department has started the groundwork to keep the beach prepared to welcome the marine guests for mass nesting in February, next year. A 10-member team from the Forest Department is patrolling the sea near Rushikulya rookery to ensure the safety of the arriving Olive Ridleys and to also check the entry of fishing trawlers in the area, The Hindu reported.
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