Thousands cheer capture of revered Vietnam turtle (Via Herp Digest)

Thousands cheer capture of revered Vietnam turtle 4/4/ii Bangkok Post Thousands of onlookers cheered in central Hanoi on Sunday when rescuers captured for treatment an endangered and ailing giant turtle revered as a symbol of Vietnam's centuries-old independence struggle. A giant soft-shell turtle (Rafetus swinhoei) which is considered a sacred symbol of Vietnamese independence is guided into a cage for a health check by handlers at Hoan Kiem lake in the heart of Hanoi. Thousands of onlookers cheered in central Hanoi when rescuers captured for treatment the ailing and ancient giant turtle.

On the first attempt to snare it in polluted Hoan Kiem Lake one month ago the feisty old animal broke free from a net.

This time about 50 rescuers took about two hours --- and three nets of varying sizes -- to finally bring the turtle under control. Some of the workers swam with the netted reptile, leading it into a cage which was escorted by two boats to an islet where its condition is to be assessed.

"This is one of the most endangered animals in the world and there's very little known about it," said Tim McCormack of the Asian Turtle Programme, a Hanoi-based conservation and research group. Local media reported that the critically endangered soft-shell turtle, which weighs about 200 kilograms (440 pounds), had been injured by fish hooks and small red-eared turtles which have appeared in the lake in recent years.

The animal's status in Vietnam stems from its history and its home in Hoan Kiem Lake (Lake of the Returned Sword), rather than its rarity. "It's very important culturally here," said McCormack.

In a story that is taught to all Vietnamese school children, the 15th century rebel leader Le Loi used a magical sword to drive out Chinese invaders and founded the dynasty named after him. Le Loi later became emperor and one day went boating on the lake. A turtle appeared, took his sacred sword and dived to the bottom, keeping the weapon safe for the next time Vietnam may have to defend its freedom, the story says.

The turtle has generally surfaced only rarely -- its sightings deemed auspicious -- but has been seen more often in recent months as concern mounted over its health. Its plight caught the attention of Hanoi's city government, which created a "Turtle Treatment Council" of experts led by a senior veterinarian in the agriculture department, Vietnam News Agency said.

McCormack said the animal, which is likely more than 100 years old, is one of only four Rafetus swinhoei turtles known to be in existence. Two are in China and one lives in another Hanoi-area lake, he said.

Vietnamese refer to Hoan Kiem's legendary resident as "great grandfather turtle", but its sex is unknown. The islet where it was to be examined holds a small temple-like structure called "Turtle Tower" that is commonly featured in tourist pictures. It will be held in a special tank with filtered water instead of soupy-green contaminated lake water.

"A lot of people have been saying the pollution in the lake has been a serious factor in the animal's health," said McCormack, whose organisation was among the experts advising authorities on how to help the creature.

Spectators hoped the treatment will succeed.

Nguyen Le Hoai, 31, said she spent all day lakeside waiting for the turtle's capture because it "is the symbol of the country, and the symbol of this lake".

Rescuers try to capture Hanoi's sacred turtle (Via HerpDigest)

Rescuers try to capture Hanoi's sacred turtle: Veterinarians want to treat legendary creature, believed to be suffering the effects of living in a polluted lake
3/9/12 Vietnam News

Hanoians cram around Hoan Kiem lake in a bid to catch a glimpse of the sacred giant turtle.
Thousands of Vietnamese jostled and climbed trees around a central Hanoi lake on Tuesday to watch rescuers attempt to save an ailing rare turtle revered by the nation as sacred.

Dozens of workers waded chest-deep through the chilly green water in Hoan Kiem lake to try to capture the giant freshwater creature for the first time so it could be treated. It is one of the world's most endangered turtles and one of only four known living in the world. In Vietnam many believe it is magical and that it helped a Vietnamese king fend off Chinese invaders nearly 600 years ago.

In recent days, photos of the turtle surfacing with pink open sores on its wrinkled neck and legs have sparked near panic among the public. Lesions were also visible on its shell. Some experts fear pollution in the lake is slowly killing the turtle, which is affectionately called "great-grandfather".
Last week, a small island in the lake was expanded with sandbags to form a platform large enough for the turtle to rest, complete with a little pond. Rescuers were hoping to coax it ashore but, when it did not emerge on its own, dozens of men waded into the water to try to gradually net the creature and drag it to the island. But even with the military involved in the rescue, the turtle managed to slip through the nets and escape.

"I'm really glad that I'm part of the rescue operation and, hopefully, it will bring luck to my family," said Nguyen Thanh Liem, 65, a retired army captain who helped pull the net along with dozens of other onlookers. "I wish that he would be immortal to bless our nation."

Liem, like many other Vietnamese, believes the Hoan Kiem turtle is the same mythical creature that helped King Le Loi defeat Chinese invaders in the mid-15th century with a magical sword given to him by the gods. After the victory, legend has it that a giant golden turtle arose from the lake and grabbed the sword in its mouth before diving to return it to its divine owners.

Experts, however, say the real creature is more likely to be aged between 80 and 100-plus years. Its sex remains unknown. It weighs about 440lb (200kg) and has a shell the size of a desk. There are only four turtles of the same species, Rafetus swinhoei, known to be alive in the world: one in another lake in Vietnam and two in a Chinese zoo.

Hundreds of Vietnamese people have worked around the clock to save the reptile by removing chunks of debris and pumping in fresh water into the lake, which is flooded with raw sewage and trash.
Once it is dragged to shore, veterinarians plan to take skin and shell samples for analysis, and later determine how to treat it.

Some gathered at Hoan Kiem lake, which translates as "Lake of the Returned Sword", worried that trying to wrangle the creature could do more harm than good.

"It's not safe to use the net to try to catch the turtle. It could worsen his wounds," said Nguyen Hung Cuong, a 19-year-old student. "The authorities should have allowed the turtle to crawl to the island by itself where they can give him treatment."

Expert Rejects Claim to Iconic Turtle in Ha Noi's Hoan Kiem Lake (Via HerpDigest)

Expert Rejects Claim to Iconic Turtle in Ha Noi's Hoan Kiem Lake (Rafetus ssp)
Hanoi - VNS-9/10/10

An expert is discounting rumours that the giant turtle living in Ha Noi's Hoan Kiem Lake was wounded recently by a fisherman.

The rumour became widespread after an internet website began running a video clip in which a young man appeared to be casting a fishing line towards the giant turtle when it surfaced on the lake on March 12.

Though the video clip did not make it clear that the hooks had hit the turtle, the fishing line became taut and broken. The young man could then be seen rewinding the remainder of the line with his fishing rod.

News about the giant turtle being attacked has recently hit the headlines in the local print media, with a least one paper putting an image on its front page of the turtle laying inside the Tortoise Tower, with a caption suggesting the wounded turtle had taken shelter there out of the sun. The photo was allegedly taken on August 1.

Turtle expert Ha Dinh Duc affirmed that illegal fishing had been a danger to the giant turtle for years as the turtle's shell was already deeply scarred. But he was doubtful of any new wound such as the newspapers were reporting.

A fishing hook did not represent a significant danger to the giant turtle, he said, although it might have torn a piece of its soft shell.

Instead, Duc said he was concerned about the existing wounds, including a fairly deep hole which could be the trace of a strong beating.

The head of the Hoan Kiem Lake management board, Nguyen Minh Tuan, affirmed that the giant turtle had not been seen on the Tortoise Tower island since 2007, although it has resurfaced on the lake many times.

The Asian Tortoise Preservation Programme has called the Hoan Kien turtle (Rafetus swinhoei) one of the rarest species of tortoise in the world. On-line newspapers Dan Tri and VNMedia have reported that there were only four known in the world, including two in Viet Nam: one in Hoan Kiem Lake and the other in Dong Mo Lake, plus two others in a Chinese zoo.

Dr Le Duc Minh of the Natural Resources and Environment Research Centre at the Ha Noi National University has also confirmed that the Hoan Kiem and Dong Mo turtles were of the Rafetus swinhoei species.

Duc, who has been tracking the Hoan Kiem turtle for over a decade, disagreed.
"In November 2008, Hoan Kiem tortoise was caught and I found that it was not a member of the Rafetus swinhoei species," said Duc. "I named it Rafetus leloii."

The Hoan Kiem lake turtle was itself not born in the lake but introduced into it, probably from Thanh Hoa, he said, adding that the Dong Mo turtle had many yellow spots and a different head than the Hoan Kiem turtle and that it would be impossible to breed them.

Legend has it that a king turned a magical sword called Heaven's Will over to the golden turtle god in the lake. Based on this legend, Hoan Kiem Lake means "Lake of the Returned Sword" or "Lake of the Restored Sword". It also explains the name of the tower built on a tiny island in the lake.

Expert Rejects Claim to Iconic Turtle in Ha Noi's Hoan Kiem Lake (Via HerpDigest)

Expert Rejects Claim to Iconic Turtle in Ha Noi's Hoan Kiem Lake (Rafetus ssp)
Hanoi - VNS-9/10/10

An expert is discounting rumours that the giant turtle living in Ha Noi's Hoan Kiem Lake was wounded recently by a fisherman.

The rumour became widespread after an internet website began running a video clip in which a young man appeared to be casting a fishing line towards the giant turtle when it surfaced on the lake on March 12.

Though the video clip did not make it clear that the hooks had hit the turtle, the fishing line became taut and broken. The young man could then be seen rewinding the remainder of the line with his fishing rod.

News about the giant turtle being attacked has recently hit the headlines in the local print media, with a least one paper putting an image on its front page of the turtle laying inside the Tortoise Tower, with a caption suggesting the wounded turtle had taken shelter there out of the sun. The photo was allegedly taken on August 1.

Turtle expert Ha Dinh Duc affirmed that illegal fishing had been a danger to the giant turtle for years as the turtle's shell was already deeply scarred. But he was doubtful of any new wound such as the newspapers were reporting.

A fishing hook did not represent a significant danger to the giant turtle, he said, although it might have torn a piece of its soft shell.

Instead, Duc said he was concerned about the existing wounds, including a fairly deep hole which could be the trace of a strong beating.

The head of the Hoan Kiem Lake management board, Nguyen Minh Tuan, affirmed that the giant turtle had not been seen on the Tortoise Tower island since 2007, although it has resurfaced on the lake many times.

The Asian Tortoise Preservation Programme has called the Hoan Kien turtle (Rafetus swinhoei) one of the rarest species of tortoise in the world. On-line newspapers Dan Tri and VNMedia have reported that there were only four known in the world, including two in Viet Nam: one in Hoan Kiem Lake and the other in Dong Mo Lake, plus two others in a Chinese zoo.

Dr Le Duc Minh of the Natural Resources and Environment Research Centre at the Ha Noi National University has also confirmed that the Hoan Kiem and Dong Mo turtles were of the Rafetus swinhoei species.

Duc, who has been tracking the Hoan Kiem turtle for over a decade, disagreed.
"In November 2008, Hoan Kiem tortoise was caught and I found that it was not a member of the Rafetus swinhoei species," said Duc. "I named it Rafetus leloii."

The Hoan Kiem lake turtle was itself not born in the lake but introduced into it, probably from Thanh Hoa, he said, adding that the Dong Mo turtle had many yellow spots and a different head than the Hoan Kiem turtle and that it would be impossible to breed them.

Legend has it that a king turned a magical sword called Heaven's Will over to the golden turtle god in the lake. Based on this legend, Hoan Kiem Lake means "Lake of the Returned Sword" or "Lake of the Restored Sword". It also explains the name of the tower built on a tiny island in the lake.