Vietnam scrambles to save Hanoi's sacred turtle (only four known to be alive worldwide)

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

By TRAN VAN MINH

HANOI, Vietnam (AP) - Hundreds of people are working around the clock to clean up a lake in the heart of Vietnam's capital in hopes of saving a rare, ailing giant turtle that is considered a sacred symbol of Hanoi.

Some experts fear pollution at Hoan Kiem Lake is killing the giant freshwater turtle, which has a soft shell the size of a desk. It is one of the world's most-endangered species, with only four known to be alive worldwide.

Teams of people are cleaning debris, pumping fresh water into the lake and using sandbags to expand a tiny island to serve as a "turtle hospital." The rescuers may even try to net the animal for the first time as part of the effort.

The Hoan Kiem turtle is rooted in Vietnamese folklore, and some even believe the animal that lives in the lake today is the same mythical creature that helped a Vietnamese king fend off the Chinese nearly six centuries ago.


Read more: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20110304/D9LODQ7G1.html

[WatsonT]

1. If there's only 4 left it might be a lost cause

inbreeding depression is going to be a bitch.

Best of luck to them but I don't have high hopes.

[Bardley]

2. maybe jane fonda has one

that she kept as a souveneir

[Frisbee]

3. Well there's an intelligent response. eom

[Judi Lynn]

7. Isn't it, though? Jesus. Someone has born a grudge since the early '70's. Jesus. n/t

[cognoscere]

4. It's good to see they didn't wait until the last minute. N/T

[Politicalboi]

6. Just what I was thinking

But we are no better. We knew about Global Warming for over 30 years now. What have we really done about it? The easiest one was alternative fuels, and we still haven't gone that far.

[Xithras]

5. Did a little reading, the biggest problem isn't pollution.

First, this is an amazing turtle. They considered it to be mythical until a dead one washed up on shore in the 1990's. That one was more than six feet long. Considering that the lake is only 600x200 meters in size and is in the middle of one of the biggest cities in Asia, that's astounding.

Technically, the turtle in that lake may be the last one. It's believed that this particular turtle is the only one living in the lake at this point, and there are a number of biologists who believe that it is a seperate subspecies. That would make this turtle the last of its kind, and the species functionally extinct.

Many other biologists disagree, and think that it's the same species that also existed in other rivers in China until fairly recently. There are only three of those known to exist, and all three are in captivity in China. The turtles are apparently revered as gods in Vietnamese folklore, and the story claims that they helped the first Vietnamese king to win his war of independence against the Chinese more than a millenia ago. The story may not be entirely mythical, and there's some evidence suggesting that the turtle(s) in this lake are the direct descendant(s) of turtles brought back from China by that king more than 1000 years ago. He brought them back, put them in the lake, and they've lived there ever since.

Sadly, the real problem that killed these off isn't pollution. Apparently the Vietnamese government "improved" the park around the lake a few decades ago, and replaced the dirt trail with a concrete walkway that extends right to the waters edge. Because the turtle was still considered mythical at the time, no real consideration was given to the fact that turtles need beach space to lay their eggs and breed.

[Ken_Fish]

8. Hopefully it can be relocated to a facility in Vietnam

where it can be cared for. I remember a story similar in nature in china with a rare soft shell turtle.

[mainer]

9. When I was in Hanoi, I thought it was probably a myth

I've visited Hoan Kiem Lake several times. It's a beautiful spot, where they have flowering trees and where the elderly gather early every morning for group exercises. There's a little temple to the lake turtle, which sounds like the Vietnamese equivalent of the Arthurian Lady of the Lake legend. Several people told me that the turtle had actually been spotted in years past, but no one had seen it recently, and I discounted it all as a tall tale told to tourists.

To find out that it actually exists in that lake is so wonderful. It's as if the Loch Ness monster turned out to be real. How I hope they can heal the poor thing -- it's such an important symbol for Vietnam.

[Kokonoe]

10. Good news

One American turtle expert, says he's not convinced the ailments are life-threatening...the creature's behavior has not changed significantly. It is surfacing on warm days, as it should (me thinks, else it would die) , and appears to be swimming freely (not dead yet) and feeding (alive).