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  Vietnam mourns death of beloved sacred turtle

Vietnam mourns death of beloved sacred turtle

AFP
Published : Jan 21, 2016, 6:17 am IST
Updated : Jan 21, 2016, 6:17 am IST

A sacred giant turtle venerated as a symbol of Vietnam’s independence struggle has die-d, state media said, promp-ting an outpouring of grief and fears the death bodes ill for an upcoming communist le

A file photo of the giant soft-shell turtle at Hoan Kiem lake in the heart of Hanoi, Vietnam. 	— AFP
 A file photo of the giant soft-shell turtle at Hoan Kiem lake in the heart of Hanoi, Vietnam. — AFP

A sacred giant turtle venerated as a symbol of Vietnam’s independence struggle has die-d, state media said, promp-ting an outpouring of grief and fears the death bodes ill for an upcoming communist leadership handover.

The reptile, a critically endangered swinhoe softshell turtle, occupies a key mythological role in Vietnam, with its sightings deemed auspicious.

Experts say it was one of only four turtles — better known as Yangtze giant softshells — in existence. Two are in a zoo China and the other lives in a different lake in Hanoi.

It was found dead in Hoan Kiem lake in central Hanoi late Tuesday, the state-run Tuoi Tre newspaper said. The turtle, which weighed about 200 kg, was said to be anywhere between 80 and more than 100 years old.

It was possibly the rarest species on the planet and definitely the rarest turtle species. The turtle’s dem-ise was widely mourned on Vietnamese-language blogs and social media, with many warning it was a bad omen for upcoming changes in the ruling Communist Party, which begins its five-yearly congress on Thursday.

Because of the cultural significance of the turtle, which many Vietnamese considered “almost sacred”, it has not been possible to include the Hoan Kiem animal in any breeding programmes which could have helped conserve the species, he added.... It’s a great blow,” to have lost it, Tim McCormack of the Asian Turtle Program said. “It was clearly an ancient animal, I would say easily over 100 years old, and so its death does not come as any real great surprise,” he said.

Because of the cultural significance of the turtle, which many Vietnamese considered “almost sacred”, it has not been possible to include the Hoan Kiem animal in any breeding programmes which could have helped conserve the species, he added.

The turtle’s demise was widely mourned on Vietnamese-language blogs and social media, with many warning it was a bad omen for upcoming changes in the ruling Communist Party, which begins its five-yearly congress on Thursday.

Location: Vietnam, Hanoi