The Economic Department of Son Tay Town (Hanoi); Hanoi Fisheries Department; Forest Protection Department (Hanoi Department of Agriculture and Rural Development); representative of the IMC NGO - Hoan Kiem Turtle Conservation Project Management (Vietnam); representative of the Species Health and Conservation Group, under the WCS NGO, have just confirmed the death of a turtle in Dong Mo Lake (Ba Vi District, Hanoi ).
A Hoan Kiem turtle in Dong Mo Lake was caught in 2020. Photo: Contributor
According to the leader of the Economic Department of Son Tay town, on the morning of April 23, officers from two non -governmental organizations WCS and IMC discovered a large soft-shell turtle in Dong Mo lake dead and floating on the lake.
Currently, the cause of the turtle's death cannot be determined. An autopsy is needed to find the cause.
The newly deceased softshell turtle had a total body length of 1.56 m, a shell length of 0.98 m, a shell width of 0.76 m and weighed 93 kg.
The soft-shelled turtle in Dong Mo Lake that recently died of unknown causes is believed to be the same species as the soft-shelled turtle that once lived in Hoan Kiem Lake (Hanoi).
The soft-shelled turtles in Hoan Kiem Lake and Dong Mo Lake are believed to be the giant soft-shelled turtle Rafetus swinhoei, which is extremely rare in our country as well as in the world. This turtle is easily recognizable thanks to its long head, pig-like snout and small eyes. This is the largest freshwater turtle in the world and is also listed as most endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Previously, the last soft-shelled turtle living in Hoan Kiem Lake died on January 19, 2016. This turtle had a total body length of 185 cm, a shell width of 100 cm, a tail length of 35 cm, and weighed 169 kg.
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