Mass deaths of sea turtles suspected

MASS deaths of Olive Ridley sea turtles have been suspected on the coasts of Mayiladuthurai too close on the heels of similar cases on the beaches of Chennai and elsewhere recently.

- ANTONY FERNANDO @ Mayiladuthurai

The turtles have been nesting on the shores of coastal villages in Mayiladuthurai district since December. But TNIE learns from local sources hundreds of carcasses of the turtle washed on the shores in the past two months though the forest department said the number of deaths is less than 50.