x
Help Us Guide You Better
best online ias coaching in india
2021-02-12

Download Pdf

banner

Environment
www.thehindu.com

There is something about the pull of the homeland that can make any story a universal one.

Turtles, for instance, don’t understand political, linguistic or other human boundaries, yet the story of how an Olive Ridley turtle gives birth is something Chennai division’s Forest Department officials know verbatim. For, a turtle may travel all over the world through the years, but when “that time” comes, it will return to the exact spot where it was born. In January 2021, about a decade after they grew, the Olive Ridleys born along Chennai’s coastline came back to their “thai mann” (mother-soil or motherland), to dig nests in the sand and lay eggs.

So when the first of these buried nests in Besant Nagar was discovered around January 10, patrollers on the beach cared enough to handle it gently. On the same day, the eggs were collected and safely transported to a locked, walled hatchery, safe from predators. They were then buried back just as deep as they were found, as deep as their mother had kept them.

This process will be repeated with every fresh nest found throughout the season; each new rehabilated nest will be marked with a broad stick, on which details like the discovery date, depth, and the number of eggs will be specified. Why? Because threats to these eggs are many — stray dogs, crows and even poachers have contributed to reduced populations of this species, categorised as vulnerable across the globe by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

If all goes well, the first of this year’s hatchlings should be crawling back to sea sometime towards the end of this month, hope the Forest Department employees manning the protected hatchery on Besant Nagar beach.

The nesting season has been a busy one since January this year, and is likely to go on till April. The month of February, however, is considered the peak of the season, and with over 100 Olive Ridley nests having been found already, all four hatcheries along this stretch of the coast are hoping to soon fill up with eggs — cool, cosy, and ready to hatch.

According to the office of Forest Range Officer, Clement Edison, “Last year, we had completed 300 nests and 32,000 eggs. Hopefully, this year, we are expecting the numbers to be more, by around 20%.” It is a reasonable hope, considering that over 100 nests have been discovered and rehabilitated already: 50 nests with 5,745 eggs in Besant Nagar, 19 nests with 2,041 eggs in Neelankarai and 33 nests with 3,599 eggs in Pulicat. And the season is just getting started. “We have a total of four hatcheries, including one in Kovalam,” says the officer, “There have been no nests in Kovalam yet, but we are hopeful.”

How these nests are discovered is an interesting story, one that is retold and demonstrated time and again this time of year. The first sign is a mother turtle’s track in the sand — criss-cross tracks caused by the shifting of the sand by its forelimbs. The width of the tracks is an indication of the size of the paddle-like forelimbs, and thus of the turtle itself.

But it is not often that this track can be followed to a mother in the very act of nesting; the mother turtle is usually done with her task within 20 minutes, and the tracks are not spotted till much later. Patrolling teams have a lot of ground to cover — especially this year, when public volunteers could not be allowed due to COVID-19 safety measures. The patrolling has been done mainly by the Forest Department, with select, seasoned volunteers from the city’s Students Sea Turtle Conservation Network (SSTCN) joining in only since the past four days, for a three-hour daily shift.

The patrollers, in teams of three, hope to spot the turtle tracks, and then circle the whole area around the tracks to search... they search not for the creature or its eggs, but for unusually soft and loose sand. The sand in usual spots, where there is no egg, will be tight and packed — hard enough for adults to walk or children to frolic on. The area with eggs underneath will be soft, because the sand would have been dug and repacked. These areas, if poked lightly with a stick, act almost as miniature sink-holes.

The eggs hatch within 44 to 46 days of getting laid, depending on humidity, temperature and other factors. It could also depend on the depth at which the eggs are laid. Nearer to the surface is warmer, so it will hatch faster. If it is deeper, it may not hatch for another day.

Most of the hatchlings in Chennai division turn out to be female, almost 97% to 99%. According to Edison’s office, it is only at far higher temperature conditions that males can be born.

Generally, hatching and the release of hatchlings into the sea only happens in the evening, after sunset, when the temperature is more suitable for the newborns. And that is a sight to behold… scores of little creatures smaller than a fist, bursting with urgency, making their steady, frantic way to the cool ocean under the calm Chennai moon, as their human caretakers cheer them on.

You have reached your limit for free articles this month.

Already have an account ? Sign in

Start your 14 days free trial. Sign Up

Find mobile-friendly version of articles from the day's newspaper in one easy-to-read list.

Enjoy reading as many articles as you wish without any limitations.

A select list of articles that match your interests and tastes.

Move smoothly between articles as our pages load instantly.

A one-stop-shop for seeing the latest updates, and managing your preferences.

We brief you on the latest and most important developments, three times a day.

*Our Digital Subscription plans do not currently include the e-paper, crossword and print.

Dear reader,

We have been keeping you up-to-date with information on the developments in India and the world that have a bearing on our health and wellbeing, our lives and livelihoods, during these difficult times. To enable wide dissemination of news that is in public interest, we have increased the number of articles that can be read free, and extended free trial periods. However, we have a request for those who can afford to subscribe: please do. As we fight disinformation and misinformation, and keep apace with the happenings, we need to commit greater resources to news gathering operations. We promise to deliver quality journalism that stays away from vested interest and political propaganda.

Dear subscriber,

Thank you!

Your support for our journalism is invaluable. It’s a support for truth and fairness in journalism. It has helped us keep apace with events and happenings.

The Hindu has always stood for journalism that is in the public interest. At this difficult time, it becomes even more important that we have access to information that has a bearing on our health and well-being, our lives, and livelihoods. As a subscriber, you are not only a beneficiary of our work but also its enabler.

We also reiterate here the promise that our team of reporters, copy editors, fact-checkers, designers, and photographers will deliver quality journalism that stays away from vested interest and political propaganda.

Suresh Nambath

Please enter a valid email address.

Subscribe to The Hindu now and get unlimited access.

Already have an account? Sign In

Start your 14 days free trial Sign Up

You can support quality journalism by turning off ad blocker or purchase a subscription for unlimited access to The Hindu.

END
© Zuccess App by crackIAS.com