Loggerhead turtles hatch in Calabria

(ANSA) - Cassano allo Jonio, August 21 - As many as 61 rare loggerhead sea turtles hatched on the Calabrian coast over the past three days and swam out to sea, the World Wildlife Fund said Thursday.
    The eggs of the loggerheads, known as Caretta-caretta turtles in Italy and considered at risk of extinction, were laid on the shores of the resort of Cassano allo Jonio at the end of June.
    The hatching process began on Monday and is expected to conclude in coming days, WWF volunteers said.
    The loggerhead is the world's second-largest hard-shelled turtle. Adults have an average weight range of 80 to 200 kilos and range in length from 70 to 95 centimeters. The loggerhead sea turtle has a low birth rate, with the females laying an average of four egg clutches every two to three years.
    Volunteers from the WWF and Tartacare NGO are guarding the eggs and the infant turtles before they swim away into the Ionian Sea.