Rare turtles in Cox's Bazar endangered

125 carcases found in one week
Our Correspondent . Cox's Bazar

Existence of different rare species of sea turtles in the Cox's Bazar coast is being endangered due to their unabated killing by wild dogs, jackals and foxes.
Carcases of at least 125 large size sea turtles have been found on the sandy beach of Cox's Bazar in the past one week.
Thirty to thirty-five turtles were found dead in Sonadia island while 90 were found dead along the 90-mile stretch of the sea shore from Cox's Bazar to Teknaf.
Wild dogs, jackals and foxes killed those sea reptiles, witness said.
A good number of turtles are also crushed under the wheels of the travelling jeeps, playing the coastline between Teknaf and Cox's Bazar everyday.
The dogs and foxes also eat up huge eggs of the sea turtles.
The rare turtles are also killed in a large number by the fishermen as they get entangled with their fishing nets.
According to the Upazila Nirbahi Officer, Teknaf, Tofail Islam, and some locals, dogs and foxes killed some 25
large size turtles on Bailakhali sea beach in Teknaf upazila of the district in the past one week.
'It is difficult for the environment department to conserve the endangered species of turtles with its short number of staff,' the UNO added.
Sources said these sea turtles come under attack of the dogs and foxes and are killed as they come ashore to lay eggs at this time of year.
Carcases of some turtles were found on the sandy shore, which were run over by the speedy jeeps.
Abdul Hoque, a crew of a fishing boat of Sonadia under Moheskhali upazila, also informed that at least 32 carcases of large size turtles had been found on Sonadia beach in the past one weak.
Abdul Jalil, an environmentalist, said Lather Bag is a rare species of the turtle family.
They come to the sea shore from Cox's Bazar to Teknaf for breading and are killed by dogs and foxes.
Meanwhile, nine turtle hatcheries have been established on the beaches of Sonadia, Teknaf, Saint Martin Island and Pecherdip of Cox's Bazar by the Environment Department.
Employees of the Environment Department are collecting the turtles' eggs from beaches and tending them.
Locals demand steps for conservation of the sea turtles.

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