LONDON ZOO TO TRACK TURTLES IN THE INDIAN OCEAN

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London zoo to track rare turtles across Indian Ocean

 

Updated Fri. Aug. 4 2006 2:46 PM ET

 

Kimberly Fu , DiscoveryChannel.ca

 

U.K. researchers will be attaching satellite tags to a number of hawksbill

turtles, in efforts to learn how to better protect the endangered species.

 

Scientists from the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) say turtle mothers

come to the same beach up to eight times a year to lay eggs, but many of the

nests are often raided.

 

The researchers will be monitoring the mothers' journeys across the Indian

Ocean to see where they go for the rest of the year.

 

State-of-the-art satellite tags will be attached to the shells of two or

three female hawksbills to track their journey. The society hopes to expand

the study to a greater number in the future.

 

The researchers believe that a better understanding of the turtles'

migratory routes will help them discover the connection to differences in

turtle populations.

 

The tracking project was first set-up three years ago to protect turtle

nests in remote areas of Northern Mozambique. So far, the ZSL has protected

more than 300 hawksbill and green turtle nests in the area.

 

Hawksbill turtles are currently suffering from excessive poaching, fishing,

and loss of habitat.