From UK, a turtle saviour

ASTARANG PURI DIST, MARCH 20: For every endangered species there's a saviour somewhere. And for the Olive-Ridley turtles on the Orissa coa...

ASTARANG PURI DIST, MARCH 20: For every endangered species there8217;s a saviour somewhere. And for the Olive-Ridley turtles on the Orissa coast, help has arrived from as far as the United Kingdom.

For Dr Robert Sutcliffe, who has made Orissa his home for the cause of the endangered turtles, 8220;every mighty oak was once a nut that stood its ground8217;. The punchline on his coffee mug perfectly sums up his determination. Leaving the UK in 1993, Sutcliffe chose to settle here to set up his dream project the Orissa Turtle Trust. Despite a low-profile start, his desire to convert Orissa into a major destination for eco-tourism is slowly taking concrete shape.

A sea-turtle expert by profession, Sutcliffe says the vibration of crawling turtles on the sea beaches is no longer a frequent occurrence as death interrupts their journey to the land for nesting thanks to the large-scale trawling. His statement needs no proof. The vast stretch of the Gundalaba beach joining the Devi river mouth is virtually a graveyard ofthousands of Olive Ridley turtles, who are washed ashore, dead. Even the dolphins which are found in plenty in this part are facing threats from the mechanised trawlers.

For Sutcliffe, the villagers whom he considers the real saviours of these endangered turtles are the greatest source of strength. The death of adult turtles apart, what worries him most is the destruction of turtle eggs by dogs and jackals. He believes the eggs can be protected by putting them in a nursery or by shifting their location by 20 yards after they are laid down.

However, Sutcliffe most significant contribution is the construction of a cyclone shelter-cum-aquarium 200 yards away from Gundalaba beach, meant to protect life and property during cyclones. It is also aimed at promoting eco-tourism in the area. The cyclone shelter has 50 rooms besides a large hall which can accommodate at least 1000 villagers. It also has an aquarium encircling it which will soon hold different species of turtles. The highlight of the structure isthe insertion of glass bottles in the ceiling which suffuse the underground rooms with sunlight. Sutcliffe has offered the villagers use of the centre to store paddy and is contemplating making the shelter a centre to educate rural women on basic health care.