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Citation
McCormack et al 2016, In Search of the Legend, Asian Turtle Program (ATP) of
Indo-Myanmar Conservation (IMC), Hanoi, Vietnam
Layout:
Bich Kieu - IMC/ATP
Cover photo:
Dong Mo Lake, Vietnam at sunset - Photo by: Timothy McCormack - IMC/ATP
Available from: ATP - Asian Turtle Program of Indo-Myanmar Conservation (IMC)
1806, CT1, Bac Ha C14 Building, To Huu Street,
Nam Tu Liem District, Hanoi, Vietnam
Phone: +84 (0) 24 7302 8389
E-mail: info@asianturtleprogram.org
Website: www.asianturtleprogram.org
By Timothy McCormack1, Pham Van Thong1, Dr Peter Pritchard2, Sibille
Pritchard2, Hoang Van Ha1, Nguyen Tai Thang1 & Douglas Hendrie3
1. Asian Turtle Program (ATP) of Indo-Myanmar Conservation (IMC), Room 1806,
CT1, Bac Ha C14 Building, To Huu Street, Nam Tu Liem District, Hanoi, Vietnam
E-mail: tmccormack@asianturtleprogram.org
2. Chelonian Research Institute, 402 South Central Avenue, Oviedo, FL, 32765, USA
3. Education for Nature Vietnam (ENV), Block 17T5, 17th Floor, Room 1701, Hoang
Dao Thuy Street, Cau Giay District, Hanoi, Vietnam
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In Search of the Legend
In Search of the Legend
The Legend
is a specimen of Swinhoe’s Softshell Turtle (Rafetus
swinhoei), the world's most endangered turtle species
and iconic to the conservation community as a species
listed as critically endangered by the IUCN and
teetering on the brink of extinction. In Vietnam, the
species, commonly known as the Hoan Kiem Turtle,
is considered sacred, and has been immortalised due
to a 15th century legend. The legend is a colourfully
account with similarities to the story of King Arthur
and his magical sword ‘Excalibur’ and the lady of the
lake mixed with the Loch Ness Monster.
S
ituated in the centre of down town Hanoi, the
capital of Vietnam is Hoan Kiem Lake, a rather
small yet picturesque tree lined lake, popular
with tourists and Hanoians alike. Young couples can
always be found posing for wedding photographs
side by side with holidaymakers taking snaps with
the aptly named turtle island as a backdrop.
It is here, inside the Ngoc Son Temple, a Tran
Dynasty pagoda dating from the 13th century which
can be reached by a small ornate red foot bridge, that
a small unimposing room holds one of Hanoi’s most
enthralling stories. It is here that many tourists might
first become aware that the lake is also significant
for more than its tourist charm appeal and historic
architecture. In a large glass tank is the taxidermied
remains of a giant softshell turtle; a label informs
you that this was an enormous 1448mm long animal
that died in the lake in June 1967. This giant animal
A couple pose for wedding photographs around Hoan Kiem
Lake while the treatment facility for the Hoan Kiem turtle can
be seen in the background on Turtle Island, April 2011.
Photo by: Timothy McCormack – IMC/ATP
Hanoi’s Hoan Kiem Lake with the picturesque ‘Turtle Island’ at its centre. An incredible city centre location for one of the world’s
rarest animals. Photo by: Timothy McCormack – IMC/ATP
As the Legend goes Le Loi was the son of a
nobleman from Thanh Hoa province in northern
Vietnam, who, in the 15th century chose to take up
arms against the Chinese Ming military who had
invaded and imposed rule over northern Vietnam.
Between 1418-1427 he waged a guerrilla war during
which the Vietnamese forces gradually grew in
numbers. Within some legends, Le Loi had found a
magical sword on his way to the battle field, which
gave him superhuman strength. According to the
legend following the victory Le Loi was on a boat
in Ho Guom Lake (the Green Lake) when a large
golden turtle surfaced and requested the sword to
be returned. The turtle took the sword from Le Loi
before disappearing back into the lake. Following
this the lake was renamed as Hoan Kiem Lake which
translates as ‘Lake of the Returned Sword’. Although
immortalised in the legend the species, Rafetus
swinhoei, has been in decline in the lake during the
last century and most likely for much longer. As
well as the animal on display in Ngoc Son Pagoda,
specimens of the species from the lake are also held at
Zoological Museum at Hanoi University of Science,
Hanoi’s Museum and the Paris Museum in France.
Affectionately known in Vietnamese as ‘Cu Rua’,
a name that does not imply gender and can mean
‘grandfather/grandmother turtle’, a sole aging turtle
in the lake was now carrying the weight of the legend.
Cu Rua had faced many challenges as the capital has
undergone rapid development, with a population
now estimated around 6.5 million people densely
packed into 1,979 people per km2, in Hoan Kiem
Dr Gerald Kutchling and Timothy McCormack stand next to the large Rafetus swinhoei which died in 1967 and has been displayed
in the Ngoc Son pagoda at Hoan Kiem Lake. Photo by: Pham Van Thong – IMC/ATP
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In Search of the Legend
In Search of the Legend
Treating the Hoan Kiem Turtle
district this increases to a staggering 35,341 people
per km2 (New York is 6,708 people per km2).
In recent decades, concrete, steel and other
debris has at times been dumped into the lake
with water pollution sometimes deteriorating to
something terrible. Fortunately one professor, Ha
Dinh Duc, from Hanoi University of Science took it
upon himself to fight for the protection of the turtle
and for the preservation of Hoan Kiem Lake and
the legend. The Professor did much to highlight the
plight of this ancient Hanoi resident and through
bringing media attention to the lake and turtle has
tried for decades to work with the Hanoi authorities
to have the lake cleaned up. Gradually improvements
were made with debris removed from the lake and
in 2009 a project with Dresden University to use an
unusual specially developed dredging device named
the sedi-turtle to remove sediment from the lake bed
to make it deeper, for centuries the build-up of silt
from runoff had reduced the lake to nothing more
that shallow mud in some areas.
The ‘Sedi-Turtle’ was a specialist dredging machine built by
Dresden University in Germany to remove sediment from
Hoan Kiem Lake. Photo by: Timothy McCormack – IMC/ATP
Giang Vo Street in Hanoi during rush hour in 2014, rapid population growth and urbanisation is putting pressure on Asian cites as
well as natural resources. Photo by: Pham Van Thong – IMC/ATP
But at the end of 2010 it became apparent
the turtle might be sick, at this time water quality
was almost at an all time low, during the dry season
water was not flowing through the lake and the
thick, stagnant green sludge that developed in
the lake did not look capable of support life other
than the bacteria that might thrive in such a soup.
In September 2010 the Hoan Kiem Turtle was first
seen with what appeared to be a fishhook lodged in
its carapace and by December 2010 an ugly looking
open lesion was causing the media and authorities to
grow concerned. This became something of a panic
when in February 2011 the turtle was seen trying to
climb from the edge of the lake despite large crowds
gathered to watch, such behaviour in a usually shy
creature was an indication of stress and likely sickness
in the old animal.
During February 2011 an emergency
committee was established and a number of
workshops held in Hanoi, staff from the Asian Turtle
Program (ATP) of Indo-Myanmar Conservation
(IMC) who have worked on the species for over a
decade also participated and helped represent ideas
and recommendations from the broader international
turtle community from which veterinary and captive
management experts were also actively involved in
providing support.
With the cultural and spiritual importance of
the last remaining Hoan Kiem turtle, the authorities
in Vietnam rapidly developed a comprehensive plan
for capture and treatment of the turtle. Due to the
strong traditional importance of the animal in the
lake the decision was made not to physically remove
the animal from the lake but instead develop a special
holding and treatment pool in a floating tank situated
on the turtle island in Hoan Kiem lake. Large nets and
a team that even included scuba divers was brought
together, though it is a miracle that the divers could
see anything in the polluted water, and the first capture
attempt was made on the 8th of March 2011. In front
The sick and sad looking Hoan Kiem Turtle looks out from the stagnant lake waters in February 2011.
Photo by: Nguyen Tai Thang – IMC/ATP
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In Search of the Legend
of an enormous and excitable crowd of spectators the
ancient turtle was encircled by the large nets using it
sheer strength and size it tore through the nets and
evaded capture on that day. Some attributed its epic
gladiatorial spectacle and escape to the wisdom of the
old turtle. Additional preparations were made and on
the 3rd April 2011 the hard work and preparation of
the authorities paid off, the 169kg turtle was caught
and moved through the lake suspended from a
cage between two boats towards the turtle island,
those in the boat could be heard singing victorious
military songs with Mr Nguyen Ngoc Khoi, a wealthy
Hanoi businessman who had supported some of the
financial burden, was at the bow leading the singing.
Once at the turtle island a specially constructed crane
with a sling was used to hoist the giant animal into a
waiting circular holding tank that could be floated in
the lake where treatment began.
In Search of the Legend
During the treatment period water quality in
the lake was significantly improved through addition
of freshwater delivered by tanker while 60,000 fish
were also released. Eventually, at 17:45hrs on the
12th of June 2011 the Hoan Kiem turtle was released
following its period in treatment.
But alas, despite this successful and
monumental capture and treatment that captured
the focus of Vietnam and much of the world on this
legendary animal and the plight of its species, Cua
Rua seems to have succumbed to the passage of time.
In the afternoon of the 19th of January 2016 stories
started to circulate online that the body of the old
animal was seen floating in the lake. Pictures that
quickly appeared on Vietnamese media websites were
as quickly removed while the authorities prepared an
official response. The timing of the death of the old
Fishing teams used large nets to encircle and capture the sick
Rafetus swinhoei in Hoan Kiem Lake, it only took two attempts.
Photo by: Timothy McCormack – IMC/ATP
The turtle was captured for treatment on 3rd April 2011.
Photo credit: Lao Dong News,
On the 3rd of April 2011 two boats were used to take the captured
giant turtle to the treatment tank on the Turtle Island in Hoan Kiem
Lake. Photo by: Timothy McCormack – IMC/ATP
Large crowds of spectators gathered to watch the capture attempt of
Hanoi’s legendary turtle on the 8th of March 2011.
Photo by: Timothy McCormack – IMC/ATP
In the afternoon of the 19th of
January 2016, the body of the
old animal was seen floating in
the lake.
turtle could not have been worse, the following day
was to be the start of Vietnam’s national congress in
Hanoi, during which the leader of the country for the
next four years is selected. For a highly superstitious
nation the death of the cultural important animal,
a symbol of Vietnam to which the fortune of the
country has often been linked, was terrible timing.
During the party congress the remains were kept
refrigerated at the Vietnam National Museum of
Nature in Hanoi. Recommendations had already
been made prior to the death that tissue samples be
collected, in particular live tissue samples that could
be cryogenically preserved to allow future artificial
insemination of other turtles or for regeneration.
Sadly, due to the timing of the death this was not
possible. With the animal already floating in the lake
it is likely the old turtle had died some days before,
greatly reducing the likelihood of viable live tissue
samples.
The Species
Despite the legend and the cultural
importance of the Hoan Kiem Turtle in Vietnam for
many years the species was largely overlooked and
forgotten by conservation. First described by Gray
in 1873, the holotype, one of five juvenile specimens
collected in the area of Shanghai, is now residing in
the Natural History Museum of London in the United
Kingdom. Named as Oscaria swinhoei by Gray in
1873 the skull and body of the specimen had been
separated and the body, specimen number BMNH
1946.1.22.9 was labelled as an adult Chinese Softshell
Turtle (Pelodiscus sinensis), a common and widely
distributed softshell turtle not too unlike juvenile
Rafetus in appearance.
The Hoan Kiem Turtle seen swimming in a much-improved lake in July 2015. Photo by: Timothy McCormack – IMC/ATP
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In Search of the Legend
In the intervening years from 1873 to the 1990s
very little else was written about this giant softshell
turtle and it remained almost unknown in the west,
with few records and specimens in museums and for
the most part being misidentified as other similar
softshell turtle species such as the New Guinea Giant
Softshell Turtle (Pelochelys bibroni). The result has
been that the species almost passed into extinction
unnoticed.
The Realisation
With the onset of the Asian turtle crisis in the
late 1980s, there was a growing realisation that many
Asian tortoise and freshwater turtle species were
under intense hunting and trade pressures. A pressure
so great that it threatened the very existence of many
species. This was the catalyst for a regional focus to
assess the knowledge and status of Asian tortoise
and freshwater turtles and determine priorities for
conservation. It was with some alarm that it became
clear how little was known about Rafetus swinhoei,
In Search of the Legend
and indeed many other turtle species in the region.
Despite the enormous size of the species, it had never
been present in any western zoo or private collections
and only a handful of specimens were known from
museums. Resulting from these activities, research
began to be developed in both China and Vietnam,
known range countries for the species. It’s important
to consider that this period was still relatively early
days for international collaboration in these two
communist nations; Vietnam only established
its more open door policy in 1986 with the ‘Doi
Moi’ (economic reforms). Field surveys and joint
projects were still cautiously agreed to and closely
watched with the situation gradually becoming
more relaxed towards the end of the 1990s and early
2000s. Many regulations and permissions are still
required, as is the case when working with protected
species in most countries, but the understanding of
the mutual benefits of conservation activities has
seen a tremendous increase in both the number of
conservation projects and national conservation
biologists working in the field of wildlife and habitat
protection.
Original artwork from Gray 1873 in the Annals and Magazine of Natural History depicting a juvenile Rafetus swinhoei, and the
holotype of the species, collected near Shanghai, China.
The Search
The search in zoos across China proved
fruitful in the late 1990s and early 2000s with five
living specimens located by 2006. One in Beijing
Zoo, a large male in Shanghai Zoo, a male in Suzhou
Zoo and two large animals in Suzhou Western
Temple Gardens had all been misidentified as other
large softshell species. There were more specimens
found in museums; again many had been labelled
as other softshell turtle species. Unfortunately while
efforts were made to bring these animals together
most were lost. A single animal died in the Western
Temple Gardens pond and it became apparent it
had lived alone for a long time, the second animal
reported here appears not to have existed as no
second animal was found in the pond. In 2007, the
Beijing Zoo and Shanghai Zoo animals both died. It
is tragic that some individuals of the species have died
in recent years from avoidable events or accidents:
one animal was reportedly killed when a brick was
dropped on its head. In the case of two large males
that were inadvertently placed together in the hopes
of breeding, a vicious battle resulted in the death
of one of these two goliaths, both of which were in
excess of 100kg. The victor, which survives to this
day, sustained injuries during this battle can be seen
at the rear of the carapace that is gnarled and chewed.
This old battle scarred male resided in Suzhou Zoo,
Jiangsu Province, southeastern China. Fortunately,
in 2007, a previously unknown animal was found
in Changsha Zoo in Hunan province; a 40kg female
that had apparently been part of a traveling circus
back in 1949. This female was successfully brought
together with the last remaining known male in
China at Suzhou Zoo in 2008 through a joint effort
between the Zoos, the Wildlife Conservation Society
(WCS), Turtle Survival Alliance (TSA) and Chinese
authorities. The couple have been observed copulating
and produced 2-3 clutches of eggs, totalling almost
100 eggs, each year. However despite the best efforts
of experts no eggs developed and it became apparent
that they might be infertile either due to the age and
poor condition of the male or more likely due to an
injury to the penis of the old male sustained during
his early battle. In May 2015 a team of experts led
by Dr Gerald Kuchling and Dr Lu Shunqing used
a technique called electro-stimulation to collect a
Despite the best efforts of experts
no eggs developed and it became
apparent that they might be
infertile either due to the age
and poor condition of the male
or more likely due to an injury
to the penis of the old male
sustained during his early battle.
semen sample from the anesthetised animal and
artificial insemination was achieved on the female.
Unfortunately after months of apprehensive wait
it became clear that the eggs were infertile and the
procedure had not been successful. It is still not know
if further attempts can be made for this procedure in
future.
No safe place to hide
Habitat loss
Finding additional animals in the wild has
proved more challenging. While searches of the zoos
took place in China so did the first focused surveys
for the species in the wild in Vietnam and China.
Whilst looking for living animals or remains that
might support the occurrence of the species in an
area much information was also collected to identify
the historic range and habitat preference of the
species. What started to become apparent was that
the species had largely inhabited wetlands and lakes
in close association to rivers and streams. It was also
found in sections of the large rivers such as the Red
River, which runs across Vietnam and China in the
north-west, the Yangtze River in China, and the Chu
River in Vietnam. A large branch of the Chu River
known as the Ma River flows through Xiang Khouang
province in Lao PDR from where it originates from
tributaries in Lao PDR and headwaters further west
into Vietnam. In Vietnam the Hieu River for which
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In Search of the Legend
historical accounts of the species are reported also
flows from Xiang Khouang in Lao PDR. With such
large river systems for which records of Rafetus
swinhoei are reported in Vietnam there is a strong
possibility the species also occurs in Lao PDR but has
yet to be confirmed.
The primary habitat preference seems to have
been lowland wetlands in the River delta areas of
Vietnam, where the species inhabited swamps and
wetlands as well as likely using the large rivers such
as the Red and Black Rivers that flow from China
southeast to the East Sea. Most of this habitat has
been heavily impacted by human population growth.
While some habitat loss and degradation took place
gradually over recent millennia, the sudden increase
in human population and need for natural resources
in the last 30 to 40 years have had a dramatic and
devastating effect on the species. Vietnam's human
population has increased from 48 million in 1975 to
over 93.5 million in 2015, and while forest cover has
increased from 9.36 million ha in 1990 to 14.8 million
In Search of the Legend
ha in 2015 representing approximately 47.6% of the
country, the reality is that primary forest continues to
shrink while increases are of monoculture plantation
forest of low biodiversity value.
they were so large that hunters would sit them on
their sides when placed in the back of buffalo carts.
Smaller turtles with shells the size of bicycle wheels
were more common.
In recent decades, the fertile lowland delta
areas, particularly the Red River Delta in Vietnam,
have also been prime sites for urban settlements and
agricultural conversion. This has led to significant
habitat loss and fragmentation as wetlands have been
converted to rice cultivation; rice is the staple diet in
the region to feed the burgeoning human population.
The construction of dams and dikes for irrigation
purposes during the 1960s and 1970s resulted in the
flooding of sections of wetlands and streams that
in the process trapped many Rafetus swinhoei in
artificial lakes. Most of the last accounts of the species
come from turtle hunters and fishermen who caught
animals from within these isolated, artificial lakes. At
some sites, we hear of large numbers of animals being
caught as recently as the 1980s and 1990s, with some
animals reported to have been over 150 kg in weight;
Hunting
The Red River and its tributaries are enormous rivers but have been heavily exploited and are increasingly dammed, it is possible
some large turtles still survive in their depth though. Photo by: Nguyen Thuan Xuan – Former IMC/ATP
Specialised hunters in some localities
focused on catching these giant softshell turtles,
using specially tailored techniques and equipment.
Long lines of hooks, known locally in Vietnam as
‘Câu Già, were commonly used as one of the most
effective ways of hunting the species. Similar, but
smaller versions of these hooks are commonly seen
throughout much of Asia for other turtle species such
as the more common and much smaller Chinese
softshell turtle (Pelodiscus sinensis). For the really
large Rafetus, these hooks were significantly bigger
and the lines made much stronger. Hooks were
baited with fish, pig intestines or other pungent bait,
and set in the lake shallows with the hooks hanging
by floats just above the lake bottom. Attracted by the
bait the turtles would become entangled in the lines,
snagged in their limbs, toe webbings, neck or soft
carapace. They could then be dragged from the water.
Historically most of the large turtles that were caught
were butchered and consumed locally. The price was
not different from that of fish.
An even more specialised hunting method
seen in Vietnam, such as Thanh Hoa province,
where the species used to be common, was the use
of a unique harpoon set to catch the turtles. The set
consisted of a long straight 4 m bamboo pole tipped
with a metal spear and a second 2 m bamboo pole
with a curved metal hook on it. This technique was
often used in natural wetlands and swamps with a
water depth of just a few metres. Small bamboo boats
were used by the Rafetus hunters to track the turtle
movement from the water surface, looking for large
rings/patches of bubbles moving that would indicate
the turtle making progress across the sediment at the
bottom of the lake.
A retired turtle hunter, Mr Nhan, who now works as a conservationist display his old hook set that was used to catch the Rafetus
above. At the time people were just not aware how threatened these large animals were and the price of the turtle was the same as
fish. Photo by: Pham Van Thong – IMC/ATP
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In Search of the Legend
In Search of the Legend
Through practice and good judgement the
hunters would use the first long harpoon to spear the
turtle, aiming for the soft cartilage at the rear of the
carapace and then hold tight. The turtle would take
flight just a few metres and bury into the mud at the
bottom of the lake. The hunter would then dive down
and place the second curved hook through the hole
made by the harpoon. A strong rope would also be
tied through the same hole. The curved hook would
then be used to lever and flip the animal. Without
doing this, the strong vacuum between the turtle and
the thick mud would make it almost impossible to
remove larger animals. In some accounts at the other
end of the rope there would be a buffalo to help pull
the unfortunate turtle from the swamp. If the animal
had not been flipped using the curved hook a tug-ofwar would take place.
Left: A carapace of a large Rafetus swinhoei that was shot in the
1980’s, the bullet hole can be seen near the top centre of the
shell. Photo by: Timothy McCormack – IMC/ATP
Above: In Yen Bai province the almost complete remains of the
Rafetus swinhoei were seen. Photo by: Timothy McCormack –
IMC/ATP
Other techniques that have also been used
to catch Rafetus or that have resulted in incidental
capture include regular fishing nets and the draining
of small ponds and lakes that allowed turtles to be
pulled from the mud. Even fishing with explosives,
often used for fishing in the 1970s and 1980s, were
reported to kill some individuals, although not
directly targeted. In 1993 a large Rafetus swinhoei
was caught in Phu Tho province, Vietnam, when
a lake was drained. The remains of the animal that
reportedly weighed 126 kg are now on display in a
small provincial museum in Hoa Binh Province.
Some cases of shooting with rifles have also
been reported. During interview surveys by the
ATP with Dr Peter Pritchard in 2004 a large skull
of a Rafetus swinhoei was observed near to Minh
Quan Lake, Tran Yen district, Yen Bai province of
northern Vietnam. The animal, which had weighed
approximately 140 kg, had been shot, the bullet hole
still visible in the bony carapace. Prior to the killing
of this animal, 2 to 3 large turtles would sometimes
be seen basking on a small island in the lake together.
In a turn of events, the hunter, Mr Bon mysteriously
went temporarily blind shortly after shooting the
turtle in 1981 or 1982. He believed this was because
he had killed a “Ghost Spirit” of the lake. This
superstitious belief meant he, unsurprisingly, did
not hunt again. He claims the other large animals
Top: A vintage set of turtle hooks seen near Ba Vi National
Park on the outskirts of Hanoi, the old hooks and harpoons
are slowly disappearing as they are no longer needed with the
goliaths they were used to catch now disappearing. Photo by:
Timothy McCormack – IMC/ATP
Above: A set of harpoon and hook used by specialist Rafetus
swinhoei hunters in Thanh Hoa Province, Vietnam. In the past
at least three hunters specialised in hunting with this method.
Photo by: Timothy McCormack – IMC/ATP
Minh Quan Lake in Tran Yen district of Yen Bai province historically had large Rafetus swinhoei that would bask on islands in the
lake. Photo by: Timothy McCormack – IMC/ATP
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In Search of the Legend
In Search of the Legend
seen basking were not hunted either as other locals
became cautious following his ordeal. Other hunters
claimed to use sticks to search the mud in shallow
areas near the island in Minh Quan Lake to find
and hunt around 10 individuals of Rafetus swinhoei
between 1985-1990, a skull from one of these animals
was presented to the team in 2011 from an animal
which had weighed 57kg. Mr Bon believed that the
animals became skittish, and as a result were not seen
since he shot the animal and it was also possible that
explosive fishing, common in the lake around the
time, or other unreported hunting events, caused the
disappearance. Regardless Minh Quan Lake remains
important as a possible site for the species. At 60 ha
in size and complex in shape with many bays and
Islands, the ATP maintains a local counterpart at the
site.
During all the surveys the ATP has so far
found eight dead specimens of Rafetus swinhoei,
represented by seven skulls, one with a complete
carapace and a photograph of a captured animal.
The ATP has so far found eight
dead specimens of Rafetus
swinhoei, represented by seven
skulls, one with a complete
carapace and a photograph of a
captured animal.
Another site of particular interest for the
species is the area in and around the Thong Nhat
Plantation in Tho Xuan District, Thanh Hoa province
in north central Vietnam. The area is made up of
small lakes interspersed with swamps with floating
grasses and areas of lotus flowers. Many of the areas
have local names, often more than one for the same
area, with sections in De Lake, Cong Choi Lake, Da
Ong Lake, Ban Boi Lake and Sen Lake. It was from
this area that the team was given a photograph from
a wildlife trader in February 2004 showing a large
Rafetus swinhoei. The animal had apparently been
caught in a nearby lake in July or August 1993 using
hooked lines and weighted between 50-60kg when it
was caught. In the same area in August 2004 the team
was visiting the site with Dr Peter Pritchard when we
were also shown four skulls of Rafetus swinhoei, all
had been caught by one hunter in the 1980s.
The area did offer some of the best examples
of swamp/wetland habitat remaining in northern
Vietnam where many Rafetus were historically
reportedly caught and the species appears to have
been common in the 1970’s and 1980’s. A number
of retired Rafetus hunters still believe some smaller
animals of 30-50kg still survive in the area; however,
as the area of the swamp shrinks and with no recent
reported sightings the chance of this seems less likely.
Nguyen Tai Thang of the ATP/IMC completes a field record
for an Impressed Tortoise (Manouria impressa) observed in the
trade during interview surveys.
Photo by: Timothy McCormack - ATP/IMC
Top: A photograph from a trader in Thanh Hoa province of
a large Rafetus swinhoei reported caught in the area in 1993.
Photo by: - wildlife trader.
Above: Dr Peter Pritchard and Professor Ha Dinh Duc with
skull of Rafetus swinhoei seen during interviews in Thanh Hoa
province in 2004. Photo by: Timothy McCormack – IMC/ATP
Four skulls of Rafetus swinhoei seen with one hunter in Thanh Hoa province in 2004. Photo by: Timothy McCormack – IMC/ATP
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In Search of the Legend
The Breakthrough
In 2006 a breakthrough came in the search for
the legendary turtle in the wild, the ATP identified
Dong Mo Lake in Ha Tay Province, an area now
incorporated into Hanoi city as an outlying district.
Strong interview information from local fishermen
at the site indicated that large softshell turtles might
survive in the sizable lake that reaches approximately
1,400ha during the wet season. Almost every
fisherman working on the lake reported seeing a large
softshell turtle within the previous year or two. At
most other historic locations such recent accounts are
rare and are normally made by just a few individuals.
More often than not it is heard that large animals
have not been seen for a decade of longer. An ATP
researcher, Mr Nguyen Xuan Thuan, spent months
working on the lake making observations, relatively
quickly he was able to see the animal but it was not
until June 2007 he was able to take clear photographs
from which the species was clearly identifiable. These
were the first ever photographs of the species in the
wild.
In Search of the Legend
It was not until June 2007 the
ATP team was able to take clear
photographs from which the
species was clearly identifiable.
These were the first ever
photographs of the species in the
wild.
Following this discovery, a local counterpart,
a local fisherman – Mr. Nguyen Van Trong – was
hired to work as part of a team to monitor the lake.
With his experience on the lake and his good standing
in the local community Trong has been incredibly
important for successful conservation of Rafetus at
the site. A friend to all the fishermen working the
lake and with his family in the local community
Trong spends his workdays monitoring the lake to
make observations of the turtle whilst also engaging
with local fishermen and the community to gather
information on observations or new threats that
might be arising. Now, with training Trong regularly
uses GPS to collect data and completes records and
reports. He has also taken some excellent photos of
Rafetus in the wild. A great contrast to his fishing
days and work he enjoys.
The important role that Trong plays as a local
counterpart became very clear in November 2008.
An extreme rainstorm saw flooding in Northern
Vietnam, Hanoi city had many streets submerged
under a metre of water or more. On the 1st of
November 2008 a new dam under construction at
Dong Mo lake final broke and released a huge
amount of floodwater; the 1,400 ha lake water level
dropped by 3-4 m over the course of the next few
days. Through his local network Trong heard a few
days later that a large turtle had been seen in an area
of flooded rice fields 3km kilometres down stream of
the dam break. He was able to mobilise the ATP team
from Hanoi and staff from Cuc Phuong National
Parks Turtle Conservation Centre (TCC) to try and
rescue the turtle. The team placed a large net across
a bottleneck in the flooded area near a road bridge,
and spent the next week trying to locate the turtle
as the floodwaters slowly retreated. Other fishermen
from the surrounding area were also setting nets in
an attempt to catch the turtle and it was on the 26th
of November 2008 that a large 69kg Rafetus swinhoei
was eventually caught by local fishermen of Trung
Son Tram Ward, Son Tay District. But as the ATP
team was in place and local authorities including
Forest Protection Department (FPD) and police had
been made aware of the situation, it took less than 30
minutes for the authorities to be on the scene.
Top: The dam on Dong Mo Lake after it broke during flooding
in November 2008. Photo by: Timothy McCormack – IMC/
ATP
Bottom: The Forest Protection Department (FPD) and local
authorities were involved in the rescue of the Dong Mo Lake
Rafetus swinhoei in 2008. Photo by: Hoang Van Ha – IMC/ATP
First ever photographs of Rafetus swinhoei in the wild in Dong Mo Lake, Vietnam, taken in June 2007.
Photo by: Mr Nguyen Xuan Thuan - formally IMC/ATP
On the 26th of November 2008,
a large 69kg Rafetus swinhoei
was eventually caught by local
fishermen.
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In Search of the Legend
It was a long and stressful 8 hours as
negotiations went backwards and forwards with
the fishermen, who one minute claiming the turtle
would be sold to a trader in Hanoi, the next he was
threatening to kill the animal on the spot. In 2008
the legal protection of Rafetus swinhoei in Vietnam
was a grey area. The species was not specifically listed
under the principal wildlife protection law, Decree
32/2006/ND-CP and occurring in a lake which was
not a protected area or protected under the more
general forest protection law of Vietnam, the animal
was not offered any clear protection. Fortunately,
Doug Hendrie and staff from Education for Nature
Vietnam (ENV) in Hanoi arrived, as did members of
the national and international press. Ms Nguyen Thi
Van Anh formally of ENV was able to present some
formidable discussion skills, arguing tirelessly and
ultimately convincing the authorities that the animal
had to be rescued. Many people do not realise how
close the species was to losing a significant proportion
of its population that day, and the success hinged on
the actions of only a handful of individuals.
In Search of the Legend
The new dam built on the lake still poses a threat to the turtle
in the lake as large volumes of water are released when it is
opened. Photo by: Pham Van Thong – IMC/ATP
Eventually the fishermen conceded to transfer
the animal. It was then a mad dash to quickly return
the animal to the lake before anyone changed their
minds. The turtle was quickly wrapped in a tarpaulin
taking six people to carry it through the thronging
crowd that had gathered to see the turtle and
watch the spectacle of the rescue. The animal was
transferred to a small truck that had been on standby
all day and driven the few short kilometres to the
release location at Dong Mo Lake with motorbikes
following wildly. At the edge of the lake the turtle
was lowered into the water where it hesitated, perhaps
shocked and a little confused by its ordeal. It took a
few splashes of water on its head before it was coaxed
into swimming out into the lake as darkness was now
falling. The sensation of standing in the lake and
releasing this turtle, knowing it to be one of the rarest
animals in the world was a rewarding and uplifting
experience that seemed to justify the years of hard
work and challenges the team had faced during our
conservation efforts.
Asia’s wildlife needs more
such conservation heroes, local
guardians of nature.
The
outcome,
an
unquestionable
conservation success, with one of only three (four
at the time) Rafetus swinhoei known in existence
globally rescued, could have been a very different
story. Without Trong’s full time presence at the lake
and his local knowledge and awareness amongst the
community the animal would likely have been caught
and disappeared into the trade or been butchered
before anyone from the conservation community
was alerted to the catastrophe. Asia’s wildlife needs
more such conservation heroes, local guardians of
nature who have the potential to help in the fight
to protect these most threatened of animals. With a
little help, training and support, it’s a worthy model
for an affordable component of existing or future in
situ conservation projects.
Living close to Dong Mo with his wife and four
children Trong feels proud of the work that he does
and the recognition he has in the local community.
He is the true guardian of the turtle in Dong Mo Lake
and a real conservation hero.
Trong said “I was really excited when I was
asked to work as ATP’s staff. Some other fishermen
had refused because of the long hours needed to make
The Rafetus swinhoei that escaped from Dong Mo Lake drew crowds while it waited to be rescued.
Photo by: Hoang Van Thai – Cuc Phuong National Park
observations but for me it is interesting to use new
equipment like: cameras, GPS, telescopes, even the
sonar fish finder. Now I do it daily. After eight years,
I feel very happy to do something for conservation
of the Hoan Kiem Turtle. I can protect this species
for my sons, my nephew and for those in the future
to see.”
Top: Mr Nguyen Van Trong, the ATP local counterpart being
filmed by the national television network, VTV. Trong is
largely responsible for the successful rescue of the Dong Mo
Lake Rafetus swinhoei in 2008. Photo by: Timothy McCormack
– IMC/ATP
Above: Trong monitoring Dong Mo Lake , the true guardian
of the turtle and a real conservation hero. Photo by: Pham Van
Thong – IMC/ATP
22
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In Search of the Legend
In Search of the Legend
Community support
Top: The Dong Mo Rafetus
swinhoei before it was rescued in
November 2008. Photo by: Timothy
McCormack – IMC/ATP
Bottom: Dong Mo Lake is a
beautiful setting just on the
outskirts of Hanoi, Ba Vi National
Park is visible in the distance. Photo
by: Pham Van Thong – IMC/ATP
As well as continued research to try and
identify additional sites for Rafetus swinhoei the
Asian Turtle Program has had to focus on creating
strong local community and national support for
the conservation of species. At a number of sites in
northern Vietnam, we have undertaken community
activities program for elementary and middle school
children. During the specially designed Rafetus
school curriculum, students are introduced to
tortoise and freshwater turtles in Vietnam and the
impacts of the Asian turtle crisis. A special focus is
placed on Rafetus and the importance of the species
to local communities and the cultural links to Hoan
Kiem Lake. Selected school books on biodiversity
and conservation have been provided as part of the
development of conservation libraries. Committee
meetings are also held to engage older members
of the community. While this often proves more
difficult, creative ways are being used, especially
around Dong Mo Lake, where the main awareness
campaigns has been carried out. Novel approaches
used have included community football matches,
boat races, and special festivals.
Community football matches have been
organised annually between villages, with eight teams
playing each other, since 2010 in the ‘Turtle Football
(Soccer) Cup’. Each year, the event draws hundreds
of spectators with many of the players being young
fishermen, a target audience often difficult to reach
through other means. Football shirts and banners
carrying the conservation message are used as well as
opening presentations and award ceremonies for the
games which focus heavily on the turtle. The matches
continue to grow in popularity. The local government
(People’s Committee) now support many of the costs
and responsibilities for running and organising the
event, providing some prizes and additional activities
like dragon dances for the opening ceremony.
Other activities have included community
boat races on Dong Mo Lake using traditionally
built boats. Originally, these boats have been made
from bamboo woven and covered in tar. Although
following a similar design the bamboo is now
Top: Community football matches have a turtle theme and have
become so popular eight teams compete annually and the local
Peoples Committee now support some of the activities. Teams
can even be sponsored. Photo by: Pham Van Thong – IMC/ATP
Above: A traditional fishing boat on Dong Mo Lake. Rowed
using the feet, very efficient, when you get used to it.
Photo by: Pham Van Thong – IMC/ATP
24
25
In Search of the Legend
covered in the much loved and more readily available
and cheap concrete. But, they are still rode in the
traditional manner using the feet, not an easy skill
to master. This is a remarkable and efficient method
used by the fishermen that allows the hands to be
free for other activities such as laying nets, crab traps,
pulling in fish or smoking a cigarette.
Signboards in local communities, at key sites,
in village community houses, schools and People's
committee buildings provide a constant reminder of
the importance of the turtles in the area.
In Search of the Legend
Right: Map of just a few sites where the species
where the species historically occurred and for
which more activities are required. Six sites have
good information that would suggest large softshell
turtles, possibly Rafetus swinhoei survive.
Photo credit: IMC/ATP
Community support has been important.
Dong Mo Lake is actually privately rented by two lake
owners, separated by fishing nets into two halves. Mr
Pham Xuan Tu who runs the side where the turtle is
frequently seen has fortunately always been a strong
supporter of efforts to protect the turtle. At annual
meetings of the fishermen, no hunting agreements
are signed with staff from the Forest Protection
Department (FPD) present. Fishermen also regularly
report seeing the turtle, potential threats such as small
hook lines or individuals they believe to be hunting
or fishing without authorisation.
New developments in January 2015 include
an artificial nesting beach. As water levels fluctuate
in Dong Mo Lake, no natural nesting areas exist
in the artificial lake. Also through observation
and monitoring so far, all of the clear photographs
captured have allowed us to compare the head
markings through overlaying semi-transparencies;
these comparisons found all photos to be of the same
individual.
Top: A special Rafetus swinhoei lesson plan is implemented in
schools around priority areas, here a board game ‘Lucky Turtle’
is being played to learn about the threats facing turtles in Asia.
Photo by: Douglas Hendrie - ENV.
Middle: Local fishermen and the Forest Protection Department
(FPD) take part in the annual signing of fishing contracts for
Dong Mo Lake, as part of this no hunting agreements for the
giant turtles are also signed. Photo by: Nguyen Tai Thang–
IMC/ATP
Bottom: A no fishing zone has been established with the
support of the lake owner for a 13ha area in which the turtle is
most frequently observed. Photo by: Timothy McCormack –
IMC/ATP
Map of observation locations for the Dong Mo Rafetus made by local fishermen and the ATP team.
26
27
In Search of the Legend
However, many of the fishermen on the lake
claim to have seen a second smaller animal. Some
claiming even to have almost accidentally caught the
animal in their nets. With the possibility of more
than one animal, but no opportunity for nesting at
the site, the construction of a sand bank to encourage
potential nesting seems logical. The 60 m² beach has
a 10 m wide ramp of sand extending down to low
water. In February 2015, no-fishing zones were also
constructed, with Mr Tu fully supportive of the idea
that might also benefit his fish stock. The first two nofishing zones are total 17 ha in size can protect the area
where the turtle is most often seen surfacing. This area
is the deepest section of the lake where an old screen
used to run. In this site, the plan is also to submerge
some old tree roots and create areas of floating grasses
to enrich the environment for the turtle.
Legal protection of the species has always been
an issue, as became very apparent when the animal
from Dong Mo lake was caught in 2008. No clear laws
existed to protect the species. However, in 2013 a new
law was pass, Decree 160/2013/ND-CP. This new law
developed by the Ministry of Natural Resources and
the Environment (MoNRE) full protected Rafetus
swinhoei, prohibiting the hunting or trade in the
species.
In Search of the Legend
Above: In January 2015 some of the Rafetus swinhoei
conservationists working in Vietnam, old and new met up in
Hanoi around Hoan Kiem Lake. From left to right, Timothy
McCormack, Dr Peter Pritchard, Professor Ha Dinh Duc, Pham
Van Thong and Nguyen Xuan Thuan.
Photo by: Sibille Pritchard.
Photographs of the Dong Mo Turtle have been compiled and overlaid as transparencies to compare head markings in the hope of
identifying more than one animal. Unfortunately all the good quality images we have to date are of the same animal.
Photo by: IMC/ATP
The Hoan Kiem Turtle photographed swimming out towards the turtle island in Hanoi’s Hoan Kiem Lake in 2003.
Photo by: Timothy McCormack – IMC/ATP
28
In Search of the Legend
The Future
With continued research the ATP has
now identified over two dozen sites where Rafetus
swinhoei was historically present and at six of
these strong information indicates large softshell
turtles survive, possibility Rafetus swinhoei. At
five sites local counterparts are employed to collect
information on any new developments while efforts
are made to confirm presence or absence at the sites.
With such large bodies of water at some of the lakes
and the likelihood that if any animals remain they
are lone individuals or in low numbers confirming
presence through trapping for example could be very
difficult. The relatively new method of environmental
DNA (eDNA) is being piloted with the Washington
State University, USA at a selection of lakes, using
Dong Mo where the species is regularly seen as a
control. The technique requires the collection water
samples that are processed in volume through filter
papers before analysis to detect DNA from the target
species. The technique has been successfully used to
look for threatened or invasive species of fish and
amphibians. But currently has not proven fruitful for
the large reptiles, the rarity of the animals in large
bodies of water maybe responsible for a dilution effect
which will require greater numbers of samples being
collected. If the technique can be refined it would
allow the sampling of a large number of sites quickly
and cost effectively before conservation measures or
more expensive trapping surveys are undertaken.
With the creation of the new law, Decree
160, protecting the species both ministries in
Vietnam responsible for wildlife protection, MARD
and MoNRE, are now actively working towards
conservation of Rafetus swinhoei. The ATP has
developed plans and other institutions to more
intensively survey the known historic sites for the
species to try and locate more animals in the wild. If
this could be achieved then there is the possibility to
bring the few remaining animals in Vietnam together
for controlled breeding at a secure site. A small island
with a pond situated in Dong Mo lake has been
suggested as such a location.
Another possible solution is to capture the
animal in Dong Mo Lake, for which the sex is still in
dispute, and use ultrasound to confirm if it is male or
female. If the animal was found to be a young male
then the collection of semen samples for the artificial
insemination of the young egg producing female in
China would be a logical and possibly quick solution
for recovery of the species. However this would require
cooperation of national authorities in both countries,
something that within itself could take considerable
time.
Such undertakings would require the broader
support and expertise of the conservation and
veterinary community and collaboration with the
national and local authorities in Vietnam. But given
the importance of the species within Vietnamese
culture and its very real threat of extinction support
for these actions should be prioritised. The species
cannot be allowed to fade from the memories and
become nothing more than a legend. The world needs
such giants to capture the imaginations of youth.
Surely the species is worth fighting for so we can let
the legend live on.
Above: Large non-lethal aquatic traps have been tested and
could hopefully be used for trapping the species.
Photo by: Nguyen Thu Thuy – IMC/ATP
29
In Search of the Legend
Acknowledgement
We would like to thank Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF),
IUCN, the Turtle Conservation Fund (TCF), the British Chelonia Group (BCG), Columbus Zoo, Auckland Zoo,
Birdlife International, the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), Turtle Survival Alliance (TSA), the Zoological
Society of London (ZSL), the Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund, Ocean Park Conservation
Foundation (OPCF), the Browse Poster UK, Centre for Resources and Environmental Studies (CRES), Education
for Nature (ENV), Washington State University, USA as well as a number of private donors for supporting
our Rafetus work. We would also like to thank the authorities in Vietnam, the Forest Protection Department
(FPD), Fisheries Department, the Biodiversity Conservation Agency (BCA) of Ministry of Natural Resources and
Environment (MoNRE). A big thank you to all those who have been involved in the work on the ground, Nguyen
Thuan Xuan, Nguyen Van Trong and Bui Dang Phong. As well as My Pham Xuan Tu the lake owner in Dong Mo
and the authorities in Vietnam who support conservation of the species.