Hanoi’s authorities have decided to keep the capital city's giant soft shell turtle which died yesterday, January 19, at a local museum for long-term research and preservation purposes.

According to the Hanoi People's Committee, at 6pm the Hoan Kiem Lake protection taskforce informed the committee leaders that the turtle or known affectionately as Cu Rua (Great-grandfather Turtle) had died. Right after that, the local authorities asked of the turtle to the conveyed to the Vietnam National Museum of Nature under the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology.

Cu Rua taking a rest at Turtle Tower in 2014

A man from Bac Giang province first noticed the body of the dead turtle on the surface of the lake at 4pm. He immediately reported it to lake management board.

Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee Nguyen Duc Chung then also arrived at the lake to oversee the issue.

In 2011, Cu Rua was taken out of Hoan Kiem Lake for three months as it needed medical treatment for a bacterial infection. After that the turtle was released back into the lake with plenty of food. The turtle had been examined periodically.

Most recently on December 21, 2015, the turtle surfaced for more than 2 hours.

Dr. Ha Dinh Duc, who has been doing research on the ancient turtle for decades, said Cu Rua had been spotted much less frequently than in previous years.

While undergoing medical treatment, a widespread debate on how to maintain this rare species took place, but no final decision was reached.

The turtle is believed to be hundreds of years old and considered by some people to be holy because of a 15th-century legend that claimed King Le Loi drove out invading Chinese with a magical sword, which the gods gave him. He later returned it to the lake by giving it to the turtle, which swam with it back to the gods. It’s from this story that the name of the lake, Hoan Kiem, is derived.