Intrigue, surprise over Olive Ridley turtles at Mumbai beach

MUMBAI: After Versova residents filmed baby Olive Ridley turtles on the beach on Thursday morning, the mangrove cell of the forest department said they will investigate the incident to find out if the turtles hatched there or were brought from another site.

Morning walkers and beach clean-up crusaders were pleasantly surprised when they went to Versova beach and spotted newly hatched Olive Ridley turtles waddling into the sea. The hatchlings were first spotted by beach clean-up crusader Afroz Shah and his team at 9.30am near local people who cultivate methi Sagar Kutir Wadi after hatching (fenugreek) on the beach edge,” 30m-35m away from the sea. said Monga.

Witnesses said around 80 Wildlife Crime Control hatchlings emerged from a Bureau (WCCB) volunteer Ankit three-feet-deep pit. But cityVyas said he along with other based ornithologist and naturalresidents rescued seven of the ist writer Sunjoy Monga and anisame hatchlings from fenugreek mal welfare officers were sceptifarmers’ homes at Sagar-kutir, cal about the discovery as he said Versova. “I will inform the he could not find any egg shells. WCCB western region as many

“I would be overjoyed if local residents have the same indeed this has occurred, on species at home. They may have World Water Day, no less. As picked them up when they were soon as I got the news in the afterin the pit. It is also unclear where noon, I rushed to the site. It saw a the egg shells went,” he said. square pit, several feet at the The state mangrove cell said sides and about 3 feet or so deep, they will be examining the one amongst many dug by some authenticity of the event.