Olive ridley turtle, female gharial rescued from Malta & Bakkhali

kolkata: The state Forest department on Tuesday morning rescued a olive ridley turtle and a sub-adult female gharial from Matla and Bakkhali range respectively.

The olive ridley was found floating with slight injury in the padel (limbs) at about 8.15 am when staffs of Matla Range was doing regular nylon net checking duty at Herobhanga 4 compartment.

This exercise is carried out on a regular basis to check whether there is any breaching in the nylon net that may result in the tiger entering into human habitat.

The animal was brought to Jharkhali Rescue centre where it was treated by vet. We have been informed that the turtle is in perfect health condition. We will release it into the river hopefully on Wednesday after necessary permission from the state Chief Wildlife Warden," Milan Mondal, Divisional Forest Officer, South 24 Parganas said. Sources in the Forest department said that during the 70s and 80s nesting of Olive Ridley was common in this part of the state.

However, due to proliferation in the use of trawler and fishing boats the nesting presently take place within Bhitarkanika National Park and Gahirmatha beach in Odisha.

However, a very small population of Olive Ridley is found in some forest ranges in the district where the beach is sandy.

Meanwhile, the sub adult female gharial of about 7 feet was rescued by staffs of Bakkhali Range from a narrow canal of Rajnagar, Sat mile Bazar under Namkhana block at around 11 am.

"It is perhaps for the first time when gharial has been found in this part of the state. It has been earlier found in Malda but had never ventured beyond that. Experts have informed us that gharials that are originally inhabitants of Chambal in Madhya Pradesh has history of migrating to the extent of 100 km,"a senior official of the Forest department said.

The gharial is safe and sound and has been taken to Bhagabatpur Crocodile sanctuary for further observation.