There are Only 2 of These Turtles Left in the Wild

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN), the Yangtze giant softshell turtle is critically endangered. This is the most threatened conservation status, echoing the words of experts who tell us the animal is extremely close to extinction. The turtle was added to the IUCN’s Red List in 2018, and conservation efforts are difficult.

About Yangtze Giant Softshell Turtle

This turtle is native to northern Vietnam, and southern and eastern China. It’s named after the Yangtze River in the Red River Basin and used to be a thriving species in the wetlands. It’s a freshwater turtle that has a lifespan of more than 100 years in ideal conditions.

This turtle is the largest freshwater turtle in the world and is known for its unique pig-like snout. It’s also referred to as a speckled softshell turtle, Swinhoe’s softshell turtle, the Shanghai softshell turtle, or the Red River giant softshell turtle. 

These turtles eat frogs, green rice leaves, water hyacinths, snails, crabs and fish. The females lay anywhere from 20 to 80 eggs when breeding, although few are fertile. These turtles prefer to remain underwater and rarely surface to breathe. This makes it hard to find and identify them in the wild.

Numbers and Threats

It’s believed that there are two of these turtles in the wild in Vietnam and one captive in China, all over 100 years old. In 2016, one turtle in the wild died in Vietnam, and one died in captivity in China in 2019. This was soon after the IUCN moved the turtle to the Red List. In 2019, the female of a breeding pair in captivity died at the Suzhou Zoo. The next year, a female was found in the wild in Vietnam but was found dead early in 2023. There are some reports of another turtle sighted in the area, but nothing is confirmed. 

Like many other animals throughout the world, these turtles are threatened by a variety of factors, from humans to climate change. 

Pollution

Pollution threatens the turtles with solid waste and garbage in the water, urban and domestic wastewater, industrial and military liquid waste, and forestry and agricultural liquid waste. As these substances enter the waters where the turtles live, they may ingest the pollutants. This can weaken their immune systems and hinder their reproductive health. Pollutants in the water affect the hormone balance and reduce egg viability. In fact, the last attempted captive breeding led to all infertile eggs, and scientists believe the male turtle’s reproductive organs were damaged by pollution.

Climate Change and Severe Weather

Droughts, storms and flooding also threaten the turtle’s existence. They create unsuitable conditions for the spawning cycle, as females only lay eggs for a few months under a full moon. They rely on dry conditions to do so.  Extreme weather has turned sandbars into steep riverbanks, affecting the turtle’s breeding areas. The Yangtze River is also drying up due to climate change, which gives the turtles no place to live.

Residential and Commercial Development

Development destroys the turtle’s natural habitat through land reclamation, river channelization and dam construction. These things make it difficult for the turtles to find places to breed and lead to increased pollution in the water. 

Human Activity

At one point, it was believed that the turtle had medicinal value. Combine this with their large size, and they were a target for poachers. Humans also move into the natural habitat as riverbanks develop. Things like boat traffic and fishing increase the chance of injury to wildlife and disrupt their natural behavior.

Aquaculture

Aquaculture is the process of raising organisms like algae, shellfish and fish for public or recreational purposes. It’s done to create jobs, restore habitats and meet food needs, but can disrupt the natural habitat of other animals in the process. 

Additional Threats

The turtles are also threatened by energy production and mining, agriculture and system modifications like water management. Conservation efforts are complicated as there are so many factors that affect the turtle and conditions must be ideal for them to breed.

Conservation Efforts to Save the Turtles

Conservation efforts are now under international legislation and management in an effort to keep it from going extinct. The Wildlife Conservation Society assists in efforts to keep the turtles on the planet. The Suzhou Zoo houses a breeding program. This includes artificial insemination of the turtles, although success is limited. One female turtle died during the insemination process, likely from complications with the anesthesia.  Conservationists use DNA to look for remaining turtles and eggs in the wild, hopeful that a male and female are somewhere in the wild. These would be the key to the species’ survival.

Locals also help monitor and protect the turtle’s habitat. They are passionate about restoring the turtles to the wild and participate in outreach and education efforts. Local fishermen work with the Nature Conservancy to reduce dangers to the turtles. It’s important that local communities invest in conservation efforts as that is the only way that the turtles will survive long-term.

How You Can Help

Unless you live in China or Vietnam near the turtle’s habitat, ways to help are limited. However, given the fact that conservation efforts are consistently underfunded, you can donate to any organization that helps preserve the species. Two such groups are the Turtle Survival Alliance and the Wildlife Conservation Society.