Why in News
At least eight Olive Ridley turtles have washed ashore dead along the southern coast of Chennai over the last three days.
As the annual season of turtle nesting begins, so have the deaths.
On Tuesday, carcasses of two Olive Ridleys were seen on Thiruvanmiyur beach and at least four near Injambakkam.
Residents promptly buried the carcasses in Injambakkam after notifying the Forest Department.
The olive ridley sea turtle, also known commonly as the Pacific ridley sea turtle.
It is a species of turtle in the family Cheloniidae.
The species is the second-smallest and most abundant of all sea turtles found in the world.
Scientific name: Lepidochelys olivacea
Conservation status: Vulnerable (Population decreasing) Encyclopedia of Life
Domain: Eukaryota
Family: Cheloniidae
Kingdom: Animalia
Order: Testudines
Phylum: Chordata
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