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Mass hatching of Olive Ridley turtles began at Odisha’s Rushikulya rookery, a major nesting site of these marine turtles, on 7th May night.
- Thousands of hatchlings came out of the nests buried in sand to crawl towards the sea to start their long journey. On an average 80 to 100 turtles hatch from each nest.
- They hatch in 45 to 60 days, depending on the temperature of the sand and atmosphere during the incubation period.
- To protect the eggs from predators and humans, the Forest department had put up metal net fencing over 5 km from Gokharkuda to Bateswar, and the area was divided into 50 segments for regular watching.
- Rushikulya Sea Turtle Protection Committee (RSTPC), an organisation of villagers living near the rookery involved in protection of Olive Ridleys, says this year there was minimal human intervention during the mass nesting, incubation period and continuing hatching process.
- A rookery is a colony of breeding animals and Rushikulya rookery coast in Ganjam district is one of the main Olive Ridley Nesting sites in Odisha.
Read More about the Olive Ridley Sea Turtle at: https://www.legacyias.com/undisturbed-mass-nesting-of-olive-ridleys-at-rushikulya-2/