Dozens of rare leatherback turtle eggs were found on a beach in southern Thailand.

Prarop Plaengngan, chief of the Khao Lampi–Hat Thai Mueang National Park in Phang Nga province, said that staff discovered some 118 eggs on Thai Mueang Beach.

The eggs were discovered on December 8, while officials were surveying beaches for turtle nests during the animals' spawning season.

Prarop said: 'The rain had partially washed away the mother turtle's trail, but we searched the area and managed to find her nest.'

The clutch of 118 eggs - 84 'complete' and 34 'empty' - was deposited in a hole 60cm deep and 30cm wide, he said.

Authorities have relocated the eggs to protect them from the tide and predators. They said the hatchlings were expected to emerge in February 2024.

Leatherback turtles are the largest species of sea turtles, known for their distinctive leathery shell and lack of a bony carapace.

They are listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, as bycatch, pollution, and habitat encroachment threaten their populations.