Chhatrapur: Two more Olive Ridley turtles, one male and another female, were satellite tagged in Rushikulya rookery, days after forest officials reinitiated the tracking of six of the rare turtle species in Gahirmatha.
The forest offi cials said that the turtles were tagged to monitor and study their movements, their source and destination of nesting, and transition of seas during motion among other parameters. The satellite transmitters were procured from New Zealand, the officials added.
A team of three scientists and researchers from the Wildlife Institute of India in Dehradun are said to be conducting the research on the turtles.
Berhampur DFO Sunny Khokar said, “The primary objective of conducting the research is to find out the pattern of their movement and transition between seas. A deeper study is also needed to explore ways of conservation of these rare species.”
In the previous year, the turtles were tagged before nesting, whereas this year the process was done during their mating season, DFO added. The exercise was carried out in the presence of the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) and MD, OFDC Prem Kumar Jha, Regional Chief Conservator of Forests (Berhampur) Vishwanath Neelannavar, Berhampur DFO Sunny Khokhar, Chilika DFO Amlan Nayak and other forest officials.
With the mating season of the turtles underway, the forest officials have reportedly intensified patrolling the restricted areas around the nesting regions.
