Over 1,100 Olive Ridley Turtles Found Dead Along India’s Southern Coast

INIndia|

In a disturbing ecological incident, more than 1,100 olive ridley sea turtles have been discovered dead along the coastline of Tamil Nadu, India, in January 2025. This mass stranding, primarily occurring near Chennai, marks an unprecedented event in the region, according to Kuppusamy Sivakumar, an ecology professor at Pondicherry University. Traditionally, only 100 to 150 turtles nest on Chennai's beaches each year.

Local residents, such as Rajiv Rai, reported witnessing multiple carcasses along the shoreline, prompting calls to the state’s forest department for their disposal. Early necropsy results indicated potential causes of death as suffocation and drowning due to net entanglement. Environmental activist Yuvan Aves highlighted the prevalence of male turtle carcasses and questioned the enforcement of local fishing regulations, which prohibit trawlers from operating within five nautical miles of the shore.

In response to this crisis, the Tamil Nadu government has initiated increased wildlife patrols and established task forces to monitor illegal fishing activities.

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