HANOI — There once was a magic golden turtle that lived in Hanoi's most enchanted lake. A creature so powerful, it snatched a divine sword from a warrior king and returned it to the gods of the depths nearly six centuries ago.
That tale has long been a favorite among young and old Vietnamese living in the capital city, but folklorists may soon have to rewrite the story to include a very sad ending.
That's because in real life, the last giant soft-shell turtle living in Hoan Kiem Lake will probably die alone, and at least one biologist says the species will then be extinct.
The elusive creature -- with a shell as big as a desk -- occasionally pokes its wrinkled head out of the murky waters of the downtown lake to take a breath, but few Vietnamese are lucky enough to glimpse it. And certainly no one knows its age.
Scientists say it probably is the most endangered freshwater turtle species in the world.
"This species is a huge, huge animal that's incredibly endangered and it really needs help," said Anders Rhodin, co-chairman of the World Conservation Union's Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group. "I don't think anyone is willing to try to capture that animal in Hoan Kiem Lake. I think it is thought to be sacred."
Conservationists are determined, however, not to let the legendary species die out. This month, researchers from Hanoi National University and the U.S.-based Wildlife Conservation Society plan to scout lakes in Thanh Hoa province, 100 miles south of Hanoi, where other giant turtles have been sighted, but never confirmed.
"We're going to the province to see whether there's any truth to this," said Douglas Hendrie, the society's Asia regional turtle conservation coordinator who has worked in Vietnam since 1996. "The species is very, very, very important to Vietnam culturally and therefore of high priority when it comes to conservation."
Legend has it that in the mid-15th century, King Le Loi defeated Chinese invaders with a magic sword given to him by the gods. After the victory, the king was said to be boating on the lake when a giant golden turtle rose to the surface and grabbed the sword in its mouth before plunging deep into the water to return it to its divine owners.
The lake was later renamed "Ho Hoan Kiem," which means "Lake of the Returned Sword," and the tale became an important part of Vietnamese culture that continues to be taught in school and performed at popular water puppetry shows.
