Giant Softshell Turtles (Rafetus swinhoei), has died in Vietnam

Cowboy_Ken

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The Turtle Survival Alliance has confirmed that one of the world’s four known remaining Yangtze Giant Softshell Turtles (Rafetus swinhoei), has died in Vietnam.

This turtle – believed to be a male - was highly revered in Vietnam and was a long-time occupant of Hoan Kiem Lake in the heart of downtown Hanoi. Sightings of the turtle attracted large crowds, as well as visitors from around the world. This turtle made global news back in 2011 when health concerns prompted officials to capture the turtle for medical treatment and mount a massive cleanup effort for the polluted lake.
The death of this Rafetus reduces the known number of living animals to three: one in a protected lake in Vietnam and a pair at the Suzhou Zoo in China. Since 2008, this pair has been the subject of intensive efforts to encourage them to reproduce in captivity as a last ditch effort to save the species, currently recognized as the most endangered turtle in the world.
 

wellington

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Truth be told, I would have thought that, "The Turtle Survival Alliance" would have been able to also confirm if this were indeed a male of the specie.
Missed that. Your right, they believe it to be. That's kinda scary, turtle alliance and they can't confirm. Hmmmm
 

Turtlepete

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I don't believe the TSA has ever been allowed any access to the turtle. Conservation organizations rarely get a free pass with stuff like that, especially when the specimen is a topic of superstition. Keep in mind they worship this turtle like a god, the primary reason why they kept it locked up in a polluted pond and refused to allow it to partake in breeding programs that could have saved this species. Another species that is a display of the damage superstition has done to the natural world….
 

keepergale

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China no doubt has reached out to the international community to find out what kind of wine to serve with Rafetus swinhoei.
 
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