Sand art on turtles to protest large-scale killings

Puri, Jan 22 (UNI) Perturbed by large-scale killings of Olive Ridley sea turtles on the Orissa coast, famed craftsman Sudarshan Pattnaik has launched a unique campaign to create awarness among the people for saving the endangered species.

The artist spent hours together and crafted hundreds of turtles on the Golden beach with the help of his Golden Sand Art Institute's students to tell people the importance of saving the sea creature.

Some foreign tourists also joined them and started campaigning, urging the people not to encroach on turtles' habitat.

Orissa coasts, particularly the Gahiramatha, Devi Mouth and Rushikulya Mouth are considered as the ideal habitat for Olive Ridleys' mass nesting.

Over five lakh sea turtles gather every winter on the Orissa coast for mating and mass nesting. Of them, some 7000 turtles every year die due to human interference.

Before this, Mr Sudarshan's art on sands helped raise funds for tsunami victims and now he is at work for the animals to save the ecology.

UNI