Puri: In a matter of great joy for the conservationists and wildlife lovers, an Olive Ridley turtle was found to have laid eggs at the Puri Blue Flag Beach in Pilgrim City.
Around 114 eggs found at the beach were safely handed over to the Forest department Sunday.
This is considered a historic first incident where a turtle chose to lay eggs in a crowded place.
According to reports, an Olive Ridley turtle came near Blue Flag Beach Saturday night and laid eggs there.
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The staffers at Blue Flag Beach informed the Forest Department after noticing the incident, following which the department officials reached the beach and safely collected the eggs from the sand.
It is worth noting that 14 turtle protection camps have been set up along the stretch from the Devi River mouth to Puri.
These camps are arranged to provide safe nesting sites for the sea turtles. After the baby turtles emerge from the eggs, they are safely released into the sea.
Although this rare species of turtle (Olive Ridley) lays eggs every year, it is being reported that the number of eggs laid is gradually decreasing. In a bid to protect these rare turtles, fishing restrictions are imposed along the coast every year from November 1 to May 31.
An area up to 7 km from the mouths of the Devi and Keluni rivers is declared a restricted zone, and trawler movement within 20 km of the coastline is prohibited.
However, many trawler operators violate these rules and fish in the restricted areas, which has resulted in the death of many Olive Ridley turtles in the past.
Environmentalists believe that the administration should pay more attention to this issue.
On the other hand, the rare Olive Ridley turtles usually lay eggs in areas they consider safe.
Since they have laid eggs at Blue Flag Beach for the first time, it cannot be ruled out that they may return to lay eggs here again in the future.