Mass Turtle Nesting Has Begun
The Olive Ridley turtles have moved ashore from the Bay of Bengal to Rushikulya beach in India's eastern Orissa state in order to lay their eggs at the river mouth.
Large numbers of visitors came to see the spectacle, which begins late at night and continues till early hours of the morning. Hundreds of female turtles were seen digging pits to lay their eggs.
This year, the mass nesting has occurred a month later than last year – causing many turtle lovers and experts to worry about what effects this delay might have.
Sadly, the majority of the eggs are likely to be lost due to late nesting, as beach erosion takes place in summer. There are also threats from the weather, including fierce winds and high waves.
Defra has published guidance for the vet sector ahead of a proposed UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement.
