TN school students release turtle hatchlings into sea

MADURAI: Students from Al Ameen Matriculation School in Valinokkam released 58 Olive Ridley hatchlings into the Gulf of Mannar sea on Wednesday. Wildlife officials from Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park have arranged the event to sensitize the student community about environmental conservation.
The Tamil Nadu forest department sets up hatcheries along Ramanathapuram coastline once the turtle nesting season starts in December. The eggs laid in the nests are collected and safeguarded in these hatcheries till they hatch and are released into the sea. In the current season (2022 – 23), the department collected 12,555 eggs. As many as 2,067 of them hatched.
Keelakarai wildlife ranger M P Senthilkumar addressed the students and explained to them turtle conservation and the importance of it. Followed by that, the students were taken to the shore and were encouraged to release the turtle hatchlings into the sea.
The department released 58 hatchlings on Tuesday as well.