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 05 July 2008 14:05 BST

'Last hope' for Chinese turtle on the brink

Thursday, 22 May 2008 14:45
There are only four Yangtze giant soft-shell turtles left on Earth
Conservations have launched one final desperate attempt to bring a Chinese river turtle back from the precipice of extinction.

There are only four Yangtze giant soft-shell turtles left on Earth, three of which are in captivity.

Scientists from the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and the Turtle Survival Alliance (TSA) have paired two of the last remaining turtles in a zoo in Suzhou, western China.

The 80-year-old female, who was relocated 600 miles from a zoo in Changsha for the breeding bid, has been living with the 100-year-old male for several weeks.

Colin Poole, director of the WCS' Asia programmes described the move as a "story of hope for a species truly on the brink", but insisted he remained confident they would breed.

Rick Hudson, TSA co-chair, admitted it was a "desperation move".

"With only one female known worldwide, and given that we have lost three captive specimens over the past two years, what choice did we have."

The giant turtles are top of the World Conservation Union's Red List, with their demise attributed to pollution, over-harvesting for Asian food markets and habit alteration.End of story


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