Ramanathapuram
Forest department officials of Ramanathapuram district have recorded this season’s maiden collection of Olive Ridley turtle eggs on the Danushkodi seashore in the district on Monday.
The forest officials found a nest on Monday while patrolling along the seashore looking for turtle tracks. The team collected 135 eggs from the nest and shifted them to a hatchery at MR Chathiram. “This is the first collection of eggs in the region this season. This year the maiden collection of eggs is earlier as compared to last year when the first collection of eggs was recorded on January 18,” said Forest Range Officer of Mandapam G. Venkatesh.
The eggs kept at the hatchery will take 45 to 52 days to hatch. Regular patrolling will be done along the seashore to promptly collect the eggs during this season, he added.
This time last season (December 2019 to April 2020), around 7,000 eggs were collected in the district, said Mr. Venkatesh.
