During the day, the Forest Department collected 632 eggs from five locations in Dhanushkodi and Rameswaram. With these eggs, the total number of eggs collected numbered 5,615 from 48 nestings. Also, so far 436 hatchlings have been released. 

Speaking to DT Next, S Sathish, Mandapam Forest Ranger, said on the same day last year, only 3,750 eggs were collected, but on Friday, nearly 2,000 more eggs were gathered. If this rate of collection continues, more than 20,000 eggs would be collected this season, said Sathish. He added that the collected eggs are preserved in hatcheries and dates of their collection are mentioned near the pits where they are preserved.