The lifeless body of one of the last remaining Yangtze giant soft-shelled turtles was found on April 21 in Đồng Mô Lake in Hanoi, the Vietnamese capital, according to Vietnamese media. The worse part was that this was the last female of the species. So the much-loved species seems doomed to extinction right now.
The tortoise that died was about 1.56 meters tall and weighed 93 kilograms. With the death of this tortoise, the total population of the species has now decreased to just three males. Two of the remaining specimens live in China and the other in Hanoi’s Xuân Khanh Lake. “The cause of death has not been confirmed yet,” Phung Huy Vinh, head of the economic presidency of Son Tay Town (Son Tay Town), said in a meeting with VnExpress.
Tim McCormack, director of the Asian Turtles Indo-Myanmar Conservation Program, said in an interview with TIME, “It’s the same individual we’ve observed in recent years. This is really sad,” he said, and continued: “She was clearly a large female with reproductive capacity. It could potentially lay a hundred or more eggs a year,” he added.
In 2019, the world’s last known female Yangtze giant soft-shelled turtle was reported to have died after a failed artificial insemination attempt in China. However, one female turned out to be living beyond the Vietnamese border, raising hopes for the animals’ future.
Unfortunately, these dreams seem to have been shattered, at least for now. Although it is possible that other members of this elusive species, both male and female, still live in the wild, we cannot say for sure that they survived.
Yangtze giant softshell turtles
Yangtze giant softshell turtles, also known as Hoàn Kiếm turtles and Swinhoe’s softshell turtles, are the largest species of freshwater turtle on Earth. They once lived in northern Vietnam and southern China, but their populations declined rapidly due to overfishing and habitat loss.
This unusual turtle is of great cultural significance in Vietnam. Although there is some controversy, the Yangtze giant soft-shelled turtles are believed to be the inspiration for the legend of Kim Quy, a legendary golden turtle god featured in several Vietnamese legends. This mythical being is said to have appeared at frequent intervals throughout Vietnamese history to fend off foreign enemies invading the country.
Considering its close ties to Vietnamese history, it can be safely said that the loss of this tortoise caused great sadness throughout the country.
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