Berhampur: A group of 34 forest ranger trainees from Madhya Pradesh visited river Rushikulya rookery and witnessed the ongoing mass hatching of Olive Ridley turtles on Wednesday.The officers, undergoing an 18-month training at Odisha Forest Rangers College (OFRC), Angul, visited the rookery to get hands-on knowledge in wildlife conservation and forest management, as a part of their course, said a senior forest officer.Vishwanath Neelannavar, regional chief conservator of forest, Berhampur, briefed them about the conservation efforts taken by the forest department to protect the Olive Ridley turtles, who every year visit river Rushikulya mouth, a major rookery for their mass nesting after Gahiramatha in Kendrapara district.He explained to the cadets the precautionary measures to be followed at the mass-nesting site, including avoiding disturbance to nesting activities, and the role of the field staff in safeguarding the species.The trainee forest rangers were astonished to see the mass hatching of the baby turtles, when thousands started emerging from sandy pits and started their seaward journey in the early hours without any help from the mothers, said Dibya Shankar Behera, assistant conservator of forests.The mass hatching commenced in the rookery from Monday and will continue for next two to three days. The hatching generally takes place from 50 to 60 days of the nesting. A total of 2.05 lakh Olive Ridley turtles had laid eggs on the beach during their four-day mass nesting period from March 14 to 17. After laying eggs, the female turtles have returned to the sea, he told the trainees.Behera said the rangers have already completed 10 months’ training at OFRC.
