Odisha Forest Department has added another Olive Ridley mass nesting site 'Bahuda Rookery' at the beach on the Bahuda river mouth in Ganjam district.
a. Sagar Rookery
b. Bahuda Rookery
c. Godavari Rookery
d. Ganga Rookery
- It is located around 20 km to south of Rushikulya rookery coast.
About Olive Ridley:
- Olive Ridley turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea) is the smallest and most abundant of all sea turtles found in the world.
- It gets its name from its olive coloured carapace, which is heart-shaped and rounded.
- It is best known for their unique mass nesting called Arribada, where thousands of females come together on the same beach each year to lay eggs.
- It is found in warm waters of Pacific and Indian oceans.
- They are found along both-eastern and western coasts of India.
- It spends entire lives in ocean and migrates thousands of kilometers between feeding and mating grounds in the course of a year.
Breeding season:
- Olive Ridley turtles commence their journey from Indian Ocean towards Bay of Bengal during their mating season in October and November every year.
- A single female can lay upto 100 to 150 eggs in a pit dug on beaches.
- Six weeks later these eggs hatche and newly hatched turtles start their journey to their Indian Ocean habitat.
Threats:
- Accidental killing of adult turtles through entanglement in trawl nets and gill nets due to uncontrolled fishing during their mating season around nesting beaches.
- Poaching for meat, shell and leather, and their eggs.
- Development and exploitation of nesting beaches for ports and tourist centres.
Protection Status:
- Though found in abundance, their numbers have been declining over the past few years.
- It is included in Vulnerable category by the IUCN Red list.
- In India, it is protected under Schedule I of Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
- Moreover, trading in its products are banned under CITES.
Question:
Q. Which is the another Olive Ridley mass nesting site that Odisha Forest Department has added in the Ganjam district?a. Sagar Rookery
b. Bahuda Rookery
c. Godavari Rookery
d. Ganga Rookery
