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Even as the Forest and Fisheries departments have been highly alert to ensure safety of the endangered Olive Ridley turtles in the Odisha coast these days when they are on a mass congregation mode for nesting and breeding, the discovery of thousands of carcasses of the turtle species lying on the beach of Paradip from the Nehru Bunglow to Sandhakud being eaten away by stray dogs and other animals has surprised many.
Normally, the turtles come to Odisha coast of Gahiramatha and Bhitarakanika for laying eggs from September to March every year during their breeding season. But the cause of death of these turtles has surprised the locals and environmentalists. Notably, this has happened when there is a fishing ban imposed by the Indian Coast Guard and departments of Forest and Fisheries in the sea near Bhitarakanika and Gahiramatha.
Noted environmentalist Sankhanada Behera demanded postmortem of the carcasses to know the cause of the death of the turtles. He apprehended ship propellers might be the cause of the death. The fishing trawlers which are in deep sea might have thrown these turtles from their fishing nets after the turtles came into the nets, he said.
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