A Species' Final Hope

A species' last hope for survival rests on the shells of two over-the-hill turtles.

Two Yangtze softshell turtles—an over 80 year-old female and an over 100 year-old male—were recently united in the hopes that they will repopulate their species. Only four of the turtles remain—three in captivity and one in the wild.

The female joined the male on May 4 at the Suzhou Zoo in China. The move was timed to correspond with the female’s reproductive cycle. The two Chinese zoos, Wildlife Conservation Society, Turtle Survival Alliance and China Zoo Society coordinated the move.

The relocation was successful and scientists report that the turtle seems to be settling in, but breeding efforts by males can often be aggressive. A failure to reproduce will signal the end of the species, as the female is the last female in captivity. Over the past two years three captive females have died.

The Yangtze giant softshell turtle is the most critically endangered species in the world. Pollution, over-harvesting for Asian food markets and habitat destruction have all been implicated as causes for the turtles’ demise.

--LiveScience Staff

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Image Credit: Gerald Kuchling/TSA