The Forest Department has established an Olive Ridley rescue centre, which will operate during the nesting season.
S. David Raj, Forest Range Officer, said that the centre would be fully functional during the nesting season, which begins later this month.
“The centre will have the necessary medical kits as well as a veterinarian, who will take care of any injured turtles found on the shore,” he said. So far, the Department has found three nests with over 100 to 140 eggs each at the beach near the Ashtalakshmi temple, Marina Beach and Kovalam.
“We have set up 2 hatcheries at Besant Nagar near the Broken Bridge and at Kovalam where the eggs have been kept. So far, we have not found any injured turtles,” he said. The Department expects more turtles to come to the shores here after Pongal.
