An ailing giant turtle considered sacred by many Vietnamese has been captured in a lake in central Hanoi by rescuers who hope to give it medical attention. Thousands of onlookers cheered at Hoan Kiem Lake as the mammoth creature was pulled in after escaping capture last month.
It took 50 workers two hours to net the turtle and lure into a cage which was then transported by boat to a small island that was recently expanded and equipped with a small pond, known as the "turtle hospital," said Ha Dinh Duc, who has studied the creature for 20 years and considers himself its caretaker.
The turtle is estimated to weigh about 440 pounds and is one of the world's most endangered freshwater turtles. There is one other turtle of the same species, known as Rafeteus swinhoei, in Vietnam and two others in a Chinese zoo. But its value to the nation has nothing to do with how rare it is.
Scientists say it is at least 80 years old, but many Vietnamese believe, as legend has it, that it is the same mythical creature said to have helped Vietnamese King Le Loi fend off the Chinese nearly six centuries ago.
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