>> Hanoi sets up taskforce to save old turtle of Hoan Kiem
>> Experts discuss ways to save Hanoi’s legendary turtle
There has been much talk about the turtle who lives in Hoan Kiem Lake, but it turns out that there may be two.
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| Mr. Khoi presents his proof |
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| The old turtle in Hoan Kiem Lake (Photo by Nhan Dan) |
According to some experts there are two old turtles, or Cụ Rùa, living in the lake. At a recent seminar on how to preserve the turtle, or turtles, along with their habitat, Nguyen Ngoc Khoi, Chairman of KAT Group, showed photos to prove that two turtles live in the lake. Khoi, who has 20-year experience in studying turtles, says that there is one, distinguishable by his yellow head, and the other, older, one has a brownish green head.
He took photos of two separate lines of bubbles one February afternoon while he sailed the lake.
Dr. Dang Gia Tung, Director of the Hanoi Zoo, said that in the past he has seen the backs of two different turtles in the lake, but that it has been a long time since he’s seen this.
The lake’s security board has also confirmed the appearance of two Cụ Rùa at the same time at two different places in the lake.
However, Ha Hong from Nhan Dan Newspaper, a longtime observer of the lake, disagrees. He claims that the two lines of bubbles could have been made by different types of turtles, and not Cụ Rùa. He says that the rare old soft shell turtle of Hoan Kiem does not move quickly enough to form such lines.
This opinion is backed up by Professor Ha Dinh Duc, who has been doing research on the turtle for more than 20 years.
Experts have continued gathering more evidence to find out exactly what the lake contains.
