Hoan Kiem Lake turtles are among the longest-lived in the world.

The Hoan Kiem Turtle in Hoan Kiem Lake (locally known as the old turtle) has lived to be several hundred years old, among the oldest in the world.

According to Dr. Nguyen Quang Te, former Director of the Aquaculture Research Institute 1, Head of the rescue team for the Hoan Kiem Turtle in Hoan Kiem Lake in 2011, the Hoan Kiem Turtle in Hoan Kiem Lake (known to locals as the old turtle) has lived to be several hundred years old, among the oldest in the world.

Dr. Te said that during the 2011 rescue, the exact age of the turtle was not determined. However, it is estimated that the turtle is several hundred years old. The turtle also reached its maximum size with a length of 2.08 m, a width of 1.08 m, and a weight of 169 kg.

Dr. Te added that the longest living turtle in the world was recorded to be 180 years old. Therefore, the turtle in Hoan Kiem Lake is one of the longest living species in the world.

Hoan Kiem Lake turtle during treatment in 2011. Photo: Vnexpress

Earlier, at 4 p.m., a resident discovered the body of a turtle floating on the lake, on Le Thai To Street, opposite house number 34 Le Thai To. The turtle's body was then brought to Ngoc Son Temple and then transferred to the Vietnam Museum of Nature for preservation.

According to Associate Professor Dr. Ha Dinh Duc, who has many years of research on the Hoan Kiem Turtle, the individual Hoan Kiem Turtle in Hoan Kiem Lake was brought to the Vietnam Museum of Nature under the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology last night.

Mr. Duc said the turtle's body is being preserved in the cold room of the Vietnam Museum of Nature, awaiting processing, possibly to make a specimen for preservation.

The Hoan Kiem turtle (also known as the Swinhoe's softshell turtle, Rafetus swinhoei) was first described in 1873, but little research has actually been done on this giant softshell turtle. In 2011, the Turtle Conservation Fund (TCF) listed the Hoan Kiem turtle as one of the 25 most threatened turtle species in the world. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classified the species as critically endangered (CR) in 2010.

Topping the list of turtle species facing extinction, the Hoan Kiem turtle has four known individuals remaining, two individuals are paired at Suzhou Zoo, China, one individual in Hoan Kiem Lake and the last individual was discovered at Dong Mo Lake, Hanoi./.

According to VOV.VN