Drones to count, track nesting Olive Ridleys at Rushikulya beach

Cameras will also be used to monitor the mating turtles in the sea
Olive Ridley turtles
Olive Ridley turtles

KENDRAPARA: In a first, the Forest department has decided to use drones fitted with thermal cameras to count Olive Ridley turtles nesting on Rushikulya beach this year. Addressing a meeting on Conservation of Olive Ridleys in Bhubaneswar on Tuesday, Ganjam Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Vivek Kumar said drones will be used for the first time to count the turtle population and track their movements on the beach. This way, a clear picture of the number of turtles nesting on the beach will emerge without disturbing the marine species, he said.

“Counting the exact number of nesting turtles on the beach has been a major challenge for field staffers over the years. Now since drones can easily capture photos of Olive Ridleys, researchers would be able to collect the exact data on the turtles. The cameras will also be used to monitor the mating turtles in the sea,” Kumar said. Earlier, Olive Ridleys were counted by dividing the beach into segments. Moreover, drones can cover large areas, including the inaccessible parts of the beach. The turtles can be even counted during fog or night through the cameras.

Bhitarkanika National Park DFO Bikash Ranjan Dash said officials of Gahirmatha marine sanctuary have requested their counterparts at Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to put off the bright lights at the missile test range in Abdul Kalam island to facilitate mass nesting of Olive Ridleys on the beach.

Artificial lighting at the missile test range near Gahirmatha beach disorients hatching turtles and adult females in ways that can be deadly. “The DRDO officials have assured us to put off the lights during the nesting season,” he added.

Rushikulya Sea Turtles Protection Committee secretary Rabindranath Sahu said forest guards will be deployed to prevent predators like dogs, jackals, hyena, boars and birds from entering the nesting sites to feast on eggs and baby turtles.

“Last year, the turtles had skipped Rushikulya beach. However this year, a large number of Olive Ridleys have congregated in the sea near Rushikulya and hence, we are hopeful that they will come to the beach soon to lay eggs,” he said. Around 4.75 lakh Olive Ridleys had nested on Rushikulya beach two years back.

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