After surviving for thousands of years in the rivers of Southeast Asia, the Yangtze giant softshell turtle is today on the brink of extinction. There are only four of these turtles known to be alive in the world, and of those remaining four, three are males. 

The only surviving female is living in the Changsha Zoo in China, 600 miles away from the closest male, who is living in the Suzhou Zoo. A Herculean effort by Dr. Paul Calle, a wildlife veterinarian with the Global Health Department of the Wildlife Conservation Society, and members of The Turtle Survival Alliance collaborating with the two Chinese zoos are giving this species its only – and slim – chance at survival. 

As if this situation weren’t dire enough, the female turtle is more than 80 years old, and the male is known to be older than 100. As a result, no one could be sure if at these ages the turtles would even still be fertile. Lacking any real scientific research on the species, the team was starting from scratch. After performing diagnostic laboratory tests and ultrasound to view the female’s ovaries, Dr. Calle and others determined that remarkably, she appeared to be reproductively active and would soon be at the time in her cycle when she would have eggs.

Without any further delay, she was taken on the 600 mile drive to meet the male, who all hoped would become her new partner. A great deal of care was taken to introduce them slowly because neither turtle had been socialized with other turtles for many years.  Fortunately, they displayed genuine interest in each other. In a short time, their separate enclosures were opened into one, and they performed the normal courtship and mating behaviors. 

To everyone’s delight, the female laid a batch of hundreds of eggs on the beach normally. Yet, despite all of the steps that went right for the turtles, sadly none of the eggs hatched. The two turtles are nonetheless doing very well, both health-wise and with each other, and there is a great deal of hope that they will be successful this year.

To learn more about this remarkable story and about Dr. Calle’s work with the Global Health Program of the Wildlife Conservation Society, visit www.wcs.org. To learn more about turtles and tortoises, visit the New York Turtle and Tortoise Society at www.nytts.org. 

The female Yangtze giant softshell turtle (Rafetus swinhoei) rests near her nesting beach in an exhibit at the Suzhou Zoo. The male can be seen in the water near her.
Photo: © Paul P. Calle

Written and reviewed by Amy Attas, VMD

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