An adult Olive Ridley weighing 50 kg was washed ashore off the Puducherry coast here on Friday.
Locals found the dead turtle behind the Gandhi statue and informed the Forest Department.
A senior official said that the turtle, listed under schedule-1 of the Indian wildlife (Protection) Act, was buried on the shore after post-mortem. It might have washed ashore after getting caught in trawlers or due to rough sea.
He said that the nesting season for the turtle is from December to March and the department is involved in protecting Olive Ridley nests and hatchlings along the coast.