Vietnam sacred lake turtle captured for treatment

HANOI, Vietnam: Veterinarians examined a rare giant turtle considered sacred by many Vietnamese in a makeshift hospital in Hanoi on Monday to verify mysterious injuries that afflict one of only four known members of its species.

The giant soft-shell turtle, which has a shell the size of an office and is estimated to weigh about 440 pounds (200 kg), was pulled from a lake in the heart of the capital on Sunday.

Trials have been running to try to identify what is ailing the creature, "said Tim McCormack, Senior Programme Asian Turtle Program. He said that photos taken of him in a holding tank had injuries on his legs and elsewhere, but it was not yet clear how serious they are.

The animal is estimated at about 80 to 100 years, although many Vietnamese believe that the same mythical creature would have helped King Le Loi push the Chinese nearly six centuries.

It took 50 workers two hours Sunday to net the turtle, put it in a cage and pull on a small island in the Hoan Kiem lake, which was recently expanded and equipped with the reservoir of small farms, known as " turtle hospital. "

This is the first time anyone has caught the creature, who escaped with two goals in a similar rescue attempt last month. Thousands of spectators crowded around the lake for an overview, which is considered lucky. The crowd booed and applauded when the turtle was eventually captured, but were repulsed when he was transported to the island. A warning is now posted near the site, allowing entry only to accredited officials.