>> Hoan Kiem’s legendary turtle in trouble

Authorities in Hanoi have made plans to provide treatment to the rare soft shell turtle of Hoan Kiem Lake by this weekend.

Ailing old turtle

Le Xuan Rao, Director of the municipal Department of Science and Technology said they have two alternate plans to get access to the turtle.

“If the turtle does not come up by itself, we will have to net it and bring it to the Tortoise Tower,” Rao noted.

He emphasised that careful attention must be paid during the netting process in order to ensure the turtle’s safety.

The turtle should be kept in a familiar watery environment during the treatment, he said.

“For the long term, efforts should be made to work out solutions to the environmental hazards, such as dealing with the algae in Hoan Kiem Lake, in order to lengthen the turtle’s life,” he added.

As of 12:50pm today [March 8], there was an attempt to put the legendary turtle into a restricted area, where a net was set up in order to move it to the tower. However this attempt was unsuccessful. This is the second time that the turtle has crossed the man made boundaries set up to capture and treat him.

The team has come up with nine steps for treatment:

- Step 1: Technical preparation

- Step 2: Capturing and bringing the turtle to the tower

- Step 3: Moving the turtle to the place of treatment

- Step 4: Diagnosis and testing

- Step 5: Attending to its wounds

- Step 6: Analysis and development of a plan for further treatment

- Step 7: Administration of prescribed medicines

- Step 8: Removing the turtle from treatment area for observation

- Step 9: Releasing the turtle back into Hoan Kiem Lake after improving the water quality

Attempts to net the turtle

Team effort

The turtle was temporarily enclosed

People congregate around the lake

Passers by join in

Checking the net

The turtle in the enclosure

Spectators

Grappling with the net

Diver searches for the turtle

A tree provides a good view of the scene

Curious people