Here is encouraging news for the wildlife lovers of the State, especially those of Baleswar district. While on one hand dolphins have appeared in the river Subarnarekha near Bhograi, on the other Olive Ridley sea turtles have arrived in north Odisha. A census for dolphins was conducted recently when five of the bottlenose species of them were found near the Subarnarekha mouth.
Jaleswar Forest Range Officer Prabodh Das said, “During the census survey in the Subarnarekha mouth near Kirtania, five dolphins of bottlenose species were found. Although local fishermen had seen their sporadic presence yet on the particular day within 800 meters of the riverbank we could see them.” “The dolphins might have migrated to this river for the reason of searching for food,” he said.
Although the numbers of both dolphins and Olive Ridley turtles are much less here than at other known places, their presence has brought cheers to the wildlife lovers. In past few years when only a limited number of the turtles was seen yet for the first time this year so far 23 have come to north Odisha and laid eggs here in the sand dunes at Talseri and Kirtania.
Assistant Conservator of Forests Subhendra Bhuyan said, “Earlier, a maximum of up to 10 Olive Ridley turtles were seen. This year, their nesting is witnessed, and so far 23 have laid eggs before leaving the sites. We are expecting some more arrivals.” “The eggs are being guarded by our forest staffs and locals for a period of 45-60 days for emergence of hatchlings from them,” he said.
Honorary Wildlife Warden Jayant Mardaraj said, “The arrival of sea turtles in more numbers is definitely good news, but they need to be protected and human interference should be stopped by the wildlife department with the help of locals. They won’t come again once they feel distributed.”