It used to be one of the most unforgettable sights from the height of the Indian summer: thousands of the world-famous Olive Ridley turtles waddling out of the water to nest and breed on the pristine white sand beaches of Gahirmatha in Orissa on magical, moonlit nights. Not just the Olive Ridleys, most other species of turtle also emerge of their hibernation spanning winters and begin mating and looking for proper nesting places. This mass movement, typical of the turtles, is ironically what has made them even more vulnerable. Mating season for this animal, which is believed to have outlived every other prehistoric species of reptile, has also become prime poaching season. Extensive surveys by the Wildlife Society of Orissa (WSO) have revealed that the once abundant freshwater turtles are now facing extinction, not only in Orissa but elsewhere in India too. According to a WSO study, as many as five out of the 11 species of freshwater turtles typically found in Orissa, no longer exist in the Mahanadi river, which once used to be their main habitat. Rampant poaching, encouraged by illegal trade, is believed to have resulted in their dwindling numbers. The reptiles are mostly caught at the delta heads of this river