Forest dept to launch 'Turtle Walk' app; 1,100 eggs secured in Pulicat

Nesting of Olive Ridley turtles on TN shores begins at brisk pace; 45 hatcheries established

- SV KRISHNA CHAITANYA

THE annual odyssey of Olive Ridley turtles on the shores of Tamil Nadu has started with brisk nesting reporting from Pulicat, besides sporadic nesting in other parts like Chennai, Tirunelveli etc. For the first time, the forest department will shortly be launching a mobile application called 'Turtle Walk' to get near real-time data on the number of nests, eggs and other key parameters.

Chief Wildlife Warden Rakesh Kumar Dogra told TNIE that more than 1,100 turtle eggs have been safely secured and shifted to Pulicat hatchery so far. "Necessary instructions and funds were released for other coastal districts to set-up hatcheries and carry out other preparatory works to provide all the protection needed for the visiting mothers."