"The turtle had cuts on its propeller blade hind legs, and the intestine had come out. There were also small cuts on the carapace. It appears to have died in the sea and got washed ashore. We examined the turtle and have buried it," a forest official said.

There are conflicting reports about the edibility of olive ridley's meat. While a forest official said the meat is considered poisonous in several coastal villages, some villagers said the eggs, meat and even the turtle's blood are considered to have aphrodisiacal properties.

However, sources here said despite the appointment of anti-poaching wardens to take care of turtle eggs during the season, coastal villagers still poach for eggs of olive ridleys which are edible. When TOI talked to a few residents in and around Kasimedu, they said the fishermen still poach for the turtle eggs and also occasionally hunt for green turtles, which come to the shore. "The villagers believe that the turtle meat and eggs are aphrodisiacs. So they wait for the turtle to leave after laying the eggs and dig them out," Pandian, a resident of Kasimedu said.

However, forest authorities said that the incidence of poaching has come down drastically over the last few years. "Around 10 years ago, olive ridley turtle eggs were sold in the market. After we took up a conservation scheme and appointed village watchers to prevent poaching, the incidence has come down. Now each coastal village up to Pazhaverkadu has guards and the Tree Foundation, an NGO, is in charge of procuring the eggs from the beach and hatching them in shelters. They then release the hatchlings into the sea. They conduct turtle walks during the egg laying season, which is between December and February, to collect the eggs," the official said.