A group of 34 forest ranger trainees from Madhya Pradesh visited the Rushikulya river rookery in Odisha on Wednesday and witnessed the ongoing mass hatching of Olive Ridley turtles. The officers, undergoing an 18-month training program at the Odisha Forest Rangers College (OFRC) in Angul, visited the rookery to gain hands-on knowledge in wildlife conservation and forest management as part of their course, according to a senior forest official.
Conservation Briefing for Trainees
Vishwanath Neelannavar, Regional Chief Conservator of Forests in Berhampur, briefed the trainees about the conservation efforts undertaken by the forest department to protect Olive Ridley turtles. These turtles annually visit the Rushikulya river mouth, which is a major rookery for mass nesting, second only to Gahiramatha in Kendrapara district. He explained the precautionary measures to be followed at the nesting site, including avoiding disturbances to nesting activities, and highlighted the role of field staff in safeguarding the species.
Mass Hatching Observed
The trainee forest rangers were astonished to witness the mass hatching of baby turtles, as thousands of hatchlings emerged from sandy pits and began their seaward journey in the early hours without any maternal assistance, said Dibya Shankar Behera, Assistant Conservator of Forests. The mass hatching commenced at the rookery on Monday and is expected to continue for the next two to three days. Hatching typically occurs 50 to 60 days after nesting.
Behera informed the trainees that a total of 2.05 lakh Olive Ridley turtles laid eggs on the beach during the four-day mass nesting period from March 14 to 17. After laying eggs, the female turtles returned to the sea. The rangers have already completed 10 months of their training at OFRC.
