Thousands of Ridley hatchlings emerge from pits, move towards sea near river mouth
1
2
Berhampur: Thousands of
Olive Ridley hatchlings
emerged from the sandy pits near the
Rushikulya river mouth
in
Ganjam district
and crawled towards the sea early on Saturday, marking the second phase of
mass hatching
.The spectacle unfolded a month after the first phase of mass hatching on April 10, when millions of
baby turtles
made their way into the sea.
Officials expect the ongoing hatching to continue for another three to four days. "We are trying our best to ensure the safety of baby turtles," said Dibya Shankar Behera, assistant conservator of forests (ACF).A record 6,98,698 Olive Ridleys had nested across a 5-km stretch from Podampeta to Bateswar during the first phase of mass nesting between Feb 16 and 23. Another 2,05,000 turtles laid eggs along the same stretch between March 22 and 27 during the second phase of nesting.Forest officials said the exact number of hatchlings reaching the sea during the first phase could not be counted due to logistical challenges.
Operation Sindoor
Pak drones enter Indian airspace, explosions heard just hours after truce deal
Sirens, explosions in border districts after Pak breaks deal: What we know so far
'What happened to ceasefire?' J&K CM after explosions heard across Srinagar
Forest officials and local volunteers have stepped up efforts to safeguard the hatchlings."We have fenced the entire area to keep out wild dogs, jackals and hyenas," Behera said, adding that patrolling along the beach is underway to protect the hatchlings from aerial predators such as crows and kites. The area has been declared a no-entry zone to minimise disturbances."Local volunteers collected some of the baby turtles in buckets, as they had strayed from their path and released them into the sea," said Rabindra Nath Sahu, secretary of the Ganjam District Sea Turtle Protection Committee.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
25 minutes ago
- Time of India
Operation Sindoor: Pakistan dossier 'reveals' 7 more targets India hit
NEW DELHI: Pakistan said India conducted strikes at seven more locations than the targets officially acknowledged by Indian armed forces between May 7 and 10 during Operation Sindoor . A Pakistan govt document on its Operation Bunyan al-Marsoos (Iron Wall) and India's "unprovoked aggression", shared with its media, lists out Indian drone strikes at Attock, Bahawalnagar, Gujrat and Jhang (Punjab province), Peshawar (Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province), and Chhor and Hyderabad (Sindh province), which it claimed killed many civilians. None of these places were mentioned in the detailed briefings conducted by Indian foreign and military establishments. "We had disclosed the targets we hit in the briefings. This Pakistani document could be a propaganda attempt to show that India also targeted civilian sites," an Indian defence official said. After Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians, India on May 7 hit 4 terror hubs in Pakistan and five in POK, in calibrated strikes against terror infrastructure across the border, without targeting any Pakistani military base or civilian centre. The targets ranged from Sawai Nala camp in Muzaffarabad in north to Markaz Taiba in Muridke (Lashkar-e-Taiba HQ) and Markaz Subhan at Bahawalpur (Jaish-e-Muhammed HQ) in south. After Pakistan escalated the situation by targeting Indian military bases and civilian centres with missiles and waves of drone swarms, IAF struck at least nine Pakistani airbases and at least four military radar sites.
Time of India
32 minutes ago
- Time of India
In New York, Khalistan backers heckle doctor who aided 2020-21 farm stir; Dr Swaiman says he is proud of Indian roots, Tricolour
Bathinda: Dr Swaiman Singh, who played a vital role during the 2020-21 farm stir on Delhi borders, was heckled by pro-Khalistan individuals at a gurdwara in New York on Sunday afternoon. The pro-Khalistan elements were angry because he displayed the Indian tricolour during the farmers' protest. The show of resentment came just days ahead of Sikhs across the world remembering those who were killed in Indian Army's Operation Bluestar at Golden Temple on June 6, 1984. Despite the opposition, Dr Swaiman stood his ground and delivered a speech for which he was invited by New York Sikh Cultural Society. A large congregation was held at the NY Sikh Cultural Society Gurdwara on Sunday afternoon (early hours of Monday in India). Dr Swaiman and former New York governor Andrew Mark Cuomo were invited by the society to deliver a lecture. Undeterred, Dr Swaiman delivered his response, challenging the group to open dialogue. Speaking to TOI over the phone from the US, Dr Swaiman said it was true that Sikhs living in various parts of the world were angry over the way their revered religious place was attacked by the govt in 1984, and how justice had not been delivered till now. "But, being an Indian, I have displayed the tricolour a number of times, and I am proud of it. Whatever happened in 1984 was an attack by a govt of a particular political party, it does not denote all of India. We may be angry with the govt or party, but not with India," he said. Dr Swaiman added he too had been branded a "Khalistani" in the past and this was not right. "ThzZ country should look into the grievances of Sikhs and deliver justice. But, just some people opposing me cannot undermine my commitment the people of my nation, where my team is regularly working," he added. The NY Sikh Cultural Society Gurdwara remains a vital community hub, fostering dialogue and cultural unity. "This incident highlights the need for constructive conversations to bridge divides within our communities," he said. Dr Swaiman's family belongs to Tarn Taran district in Punjab. During the farm struggle, his organisation, '5 Rivers Heart Association', held medical camps at the protest site to help the protesters.
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
3 Indians who went missing in Iran rescued, says embassy
Three Indian nationals who went missing in Iran last month have been rescued, the Iranian embassy in India said on Tuesday, quoting media reports in Tehran. Last week, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said it was in touch with the Iranian authorities over the missing Indians. "Three missing Indian citizens freed by Tehran police," the Iranian embassy said in a post on X. "Local media in Iran say police have found and released three Indian men who had gone missing in Iran," it said.
