The last known male giant Swinhoe’s softshell turtle is no longer alone on the planet after the discovery of a female of its species in Vietnam.
The 86 kg (13 stone) female tortoise was found in Dong Mo Lake, Son Son District, Hanoi, and captured for genetic testing in October.
DNA tests have confirmed that the animal is a Swinhoe softshell turtle, (Rafetus swinhoei), the most endangered turtle in the world.
Another turtle weighing an estimated 130 kg has been seen in the lake and conservationists hope it could be another male.
The only known softshell tortoise of the Swinhoe man is in Suzhou Zoo in China. Scientists aim to ensure that turtles have a chance to hatch and save the species from the brink of extinction.
The animal, also known as the Hoan Kiem tortoise or the Yangtze giant softshell tortoise, was driven to the edge by hunting for its meat and eggs, as well as by destroying its habitat.
“This is the best news of the year, and quite possibly the last decade, for the conservation of turtles worldwide,” said Andrew Walde at the Turtle Survival Alliance, which advises the Vietnamese government on the conservation project.
Hoang Bich Thuy, country director of the Wildlife Conservation Society, said: “In a year full of bad news and sadness around the world, the discovery of this female can give everyone hope that this species will once again have a chance to survive.”
Swinhoe’s softshell tortoise received legal protection in Vietnam in 2013. ‘[Before] that time, when someone is caught, its meat is shared with the whole family, family members and the environment, ”Hoang said. He added that many of the turtles were also hunted to sell to China. “Its eggs were also collected and soaked in salt, because locals believed that turtle-salted egg helped cure diarrhea.”
The conservationists spent weeks searching for the 1,400-acre female tortoise in Dong Mo Lake. She is one meter tall and was caught for a day to have examinations and blood samples taken. The team said she was healthy, strong – and wanted to be in the lake again upon release.
In the spring of 2021, the team hopes to capture the second, larger, turtle seen in the same lake, as it is the lowest water level. There may also be a turtle in nearby Xuan Khanh Lake as scientists have detected DNA in water samples.
The last known woman before the Vietnam discovery died in April 2019. She was mated to the male in 2008 in Suzhou, but did not have any natural offspring. Attempts were made to obtain artificial insemination, but the female did not recover from anesthesia, despite similar anesthesia procedures previously performed safely.
Timothy McCormack, director of the Asian Turtle Program for Indo-Myanmar Conservation, said: “Once we know the sex of the animals in Vietnam, we can make a clear plan on the next steps.”
A report in 2018 concluded that turtles threaten one of the most important vertebrate groups, with more than 50% of the 356 species threatened or already extinct. The causes are habitat destruction, hunting for food and traditional medicine, the illegal trade in pets and pollution.
The late herpetologist John Behler on the first page quotes the report: “Turtles have seen the great dinosaurs come and go and are now facing their own extinction crisis.”
Freshwater species have been hit hardest by human action, and the average population size has been 84% lower since 1970, partly due to the enormous thirst of agriculture and the large number of dams.