An injured Olive Ridley Turtle with its flippers chopped was found on the Panaiyur beach on Thursday morning. TREE foundation volunteers found the turtle with its flippers chopped and the cut marks on its snout and carapace. The reason is because of a stranded Olive Ridley on the shore is usually a dead Olive Ridley, primarily due to fishing nets that cause them to drown.
So it is no surprise that volunteers who found this resilient shell-backed soul rewarded him with the name Kuvira, which is Sanskrit for ‘courageous one.’ While a few of the injuries had healed since they had possibly been caused a few months ago, the turtle was found to be weak and dehydrated.
According to the numbers recorded by the TREE Foundation (a trust engaged in the conservation of marine life), the death toll on the 126 kilometre stretch between Neelankarai and Alamparai has climbed from 202 in 2013 to 423 in 2014 and decreasing slightly in 2015 to 411. These figures are calculated between January and April when a bulk of stranded Olive Ridleys are found as it is the nesting season.
“This year alone we have seen 45 turtles found dead along the Kancheepuram shoreline, and we’re only in January. Most of the turtles we found washed ashore dead have injuries and signs that they have drowned in fishing gear such as trawl and gill nets” says Supraja Dharini, founder of the TREE Foundation. Many volunteers retrieving nests said there was an increase in the number of dead turtles being washed ashore.
If you come across a stranded turtle, whether you think it is alive or dead, contact 94440 52242 or 94443 06411.