A rare giant turtle once believed to be extinct in the wild has been discovered in northern Vietnam, say researchers with the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo.

Scientists from the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo’s Asian Turtle Program reported the discovery of the only known wild specimen of a Swinhoe’s soft-shell turtle living in a lake just west of Hanoi.

“This is an incredibly important discovery because the Swinhoe’s soft-shell turtle is one of the most critically endangered species of turtle in the world,” said Doug Hendrie, the Vietnam-based coordinator of the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo program. “This species has legendary status among the people of Vietnam, so this is perhaps an opportunity for the legend to live on.”

The discovery gives researchers hope for the survival of the species, previously thought to be extinct in the wild. Three other known Swinhoe’s soft-shell turtles (Rafetus swinhoei) remain in captivity. Two of the rare giant turtles are in Chinese zoos, and one is in the Hoan Kiem Lake in Hanoi.

As the largest freshwater turtle in the world, the Swinhoe’s soft-shell turtle can weigh up to 300 pounds and measure up to 3 feet in length with some living to more than 100 years old.

In 2003, the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo began efforts to preserve and protect Asian turtles after reports of increased killings by hunters who captured them for food or to make traditional medicines from their bones. Development and pollution also led to loss of nesting habitats along rivers, zoo officials said.

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