Yangtze Giant Softshell Turtle Found Dead in Vietnam Shores was Species' Last Female

The last female of the species, a Yangtze gigantic softshell turtle, was discovered dead on Vietnamese coastlines.

The Last Female Yangtze Giant Softshell Turtle

Vietnamese media reported that one of the last Yangtze gigantic softshell turtles was discovered dead on April 21 at ng Mô Lake in the nation's capital, Hanoi. According to numerous reports, this was the final female of the species, effectively bringing the beloved species to an end.

According to VnExpress, the dead turtle was about 5 feet and 1 inch long and weighed 205 pounds.

Now that this pig-nosed guy has passed away, there are just three remaining males left in existence, two of which are located in China and one in Hanoi's Xuân Khanh Lake.

Its cause of death has not yet been determined, according to Phung Huy Vinh, chairman of Son Tay Town's business division, who spoke to VnExpress.

The leader of the Asian Turtle Program for Indo-Myanmar Conservation later confirmed the death, explaining that the person was the last female.

What Could Have Been

It is the same person being monitored now, according to Tim McCormack, the Asian Turtle Program for Indo-Myanmar Conservation director.

It was a huge female who definitely has a great capability for reproduction, McCormack continued. She might have produced a hundred eggs per year or more.

Additionally, he stated that despite an artificial nesting beach being there at ng Mô Lake for about ten years, no nesting has occurred. So, one of the inquiries has been if this was a solitary species or if additional creatures are present in Ng Mô.

The world's last female Yangtze giant softshell turtle was claimed to have perished in 2019 following an unsuccessful effort at artificial fertilization in China. But it turned out that another female was residing in Vietnam, which gave people optimism for the animal's future.

Those hopes seem to have been crushed, at least for the time being. There's a chance that more members of the secretive species, both male and female, are still alive, but there's no way to know for sure.

AKA Hoàn Kiếm Turtles

The largest species of freshwater turtle on Earth is the Yangtze gigantic softshell turtle, often referred to as the Hoan Kim turtle and the Swinhoe's softshell turtle. They were originally abundant throughout northern Vietnam and also southern China, but overhunting and habitat degradation caused them to perish. TIME lists increasing pollution levels and years of hunting for its meat and eggs as other dangers.

In Vietnam, the unique turtle has significant cultural importance. Although there is some disagreement, it is generally agreed that the mythological golden turtle god Kim Quy, who appears in several Vietnamese folklore, was inspired by the Yangtze enormous softshell turtles. This character is claimed to have frequently appeared throughout Vietnamese history to stave against invading foreign enemies.

The loss of the female turtle is undoubtedly felt across the nation given its close ties to Vietnam's past, IFL Science reports.