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Soldier with turtle in Nicaragua
Photo: OSWALDO RIVAS / AFP
Soldiers have guarded thousands of sea turtles on the coast of Nicaragua in the past few days.
The animals laid their eggs under military protection.
Together with the environmental authorities of the country, the emergency services on the beach of La Flor in San Juan del Sur in the south of the country are to prevent residents from neighboring communities from plundering the nests of the olive ridged turtles.
The turtle species is considered critically endangered.
The sea turtles cover long distances to lay their eggs in the La Flor and Chacocente nature reserves on Nicaragua's Pacific coast.
Authorities estimate that out of 100 hatched turtles, 90 make it into the ocean, but only 3 reach adulthood.
However, the young animals in particular are exposed to many other dangers: They are eaten by larger fish and seabirds.
In addition, pollution, boats and fishing pose a threat to the turtles.
For example, many animals are killed as "bycatch".
Each of the turtles lays around 90 eggs.
The offspring hatch from the eggs after about 40 to 70 days.
When fully grown, the animals are a little over half a meter tall and weigh around 38 kilograms.
bbr / AFP
