Threatened baby turtles given helping hand

Thousands of endangered baby turtles have survived the journey from their nests to the sea thanks to conservationists in India.

Olive Ridley turtles nest annually along the country's east coast, digging sandpits and laying eggs before returning to the ocean.

It is estimated 40,000 hatchlings have crawled out of the nesting site and the turtle population is expected to double over the next few days.

In recent years, local conservationists at the Rishikulya beach on the Orissa coast have come to their rescue.

Dozens of volunteers, many of them children, have been camping at the beach for days rescuing and safely delivering the babies into the sea.

"These turtles are like little delicate guests and we have to catch them and leave them on the shore." said Ravi, a volunteer.

"The entire village and the forest department works together for this for weeks," he added.

Hatching is the most crucial time for the tiny animals as many, unable to clear off the huge loads of sand from their dens, die of suffocation.

If they manage to reach land, they can be prey to crows, eagles and stray dogs.

They are especially vulnerable because of high mortality rates - only one out of every 1,000 hatchlings normally reaches adulthood.

The turtles are protected under India's wildlife legislation but, as well as natural hurdles, they are also killed by pollution and by poachers, who hunt them for their meat.