The known world population of Yangtze giant softshell turtles (Rafetus swinhoei) presently counts four living specimens: two in separate lakes in the northern part of Vietnam (Red River drainage) and two in China where the only confirmed female from Changsha Zoo is on breeding loan at Suzhou Zoo since 2008, paired with the only surviving male in China. The male at the Suzhou Zoo appears to be very old and, despite many mating interactions over the last years, none of the numerous eggs the female laid annually produced any hatchlings and all eggs of 2011 were infertile.

Several surveys for Rafetus swinhoei took place over recent years in Vietnam, Laos and China. One of the two specimens in Vietnam, probably a middle-aged adult male, was discovered during such a survey in Dong Mo Lake in the Red River drainage in 2007. A survey along the Red River in Yunnan conducted by Conservation International in February 2007 confirmed the historic occurrence of the species in the Red River in Yunnan and listed several individuals which were recorded up to 1998, but could not find firm evidence for more recent captures or sightings.

The TSA funded a fact-finding mission to the Red River in Yunnan in September 2011 to confirm the information and data reported in 2007. Unfortunately, the team (led by Dr. Gerald Kuchling) also did not find evidence of recent sightings of the species. The main goal of their mission was to visit all Forestry Bureaus in Yunnan where Rafetus had been reported in the past to find out about past and current attempts to collect data on the species. They discovered that all Forestry Bureaus were aware of the rare and threatened status and the significance of the species and are monitoring the respective markets where softshell turtles are traded with the aim to rescue any Rafetus which might be offered for sale.

With the glass barriers around both ponds at Suzhou Zoo having been completed in the summer of 2010, the male and the female Yangtze giant softshell turtle (Rafetus swinhoei) have roamed together in both the small and the large pond since 24 August 2010. For the first time, the male and the female were together throughout fall, winter and spring. Following hibernation, the male and the female became active on 25 March 2011 when they both were seen basking. Abrasions on the neck and front limbs of the female when she emerged from hibernation indicated mating attempts during fall/winter (the male grabs the neck of the female with his jaws prior to mounting). The turtles' diet in 2011 consisted of pieces of fresh fish with skin and bones, whole freshwater crayfish, freshwater snails, sausages filled with a mixture of fresh, high quality minced fish, freshwater crayfish, prawns, egg shells, vitamin and calcium supplements, and chicken heads and wings. The sausages are readily eaten by both the female and the male, ensuring good nutrition.

The fourth season for the Rafetus breeding project has come to an end, without the results that we were all hoping for.  It seems that out of the 188 eggs laid, none were actually fertilized.  This has put all of us on the project in a bit of a predicament wondering how to proceed next year (note I said how not if.  There is no question in any of our minds that the project will continue, so long as we have these individuals and if there’s the possibility of other individuals out in the wild).

Depsite the fact that we didn’t get any Rafetus hatchlings, progress was still made and questions were answered.  Concerns about the efficacy of the incubators and incubation methods were put to rest when we successfully hatched more than a dozen red-eared sliders under various incubation conditions.  We also obtained 54 Chinese softshell (Pelodiscus sinensis) hatchlings from a local farm to rear in our large breeding tank.  By doing so, the zoo staff were able to learn how to care for softshells and try different feeding regimens to determine what works best.

There were new challenges to be faced this year as well.  While stray cats and weasels are a known problem at the zoo, this was the first year we saw the weasels enter the Rafetus enclosure.  I was quite concerned because they could pose a threat to the eggs and potential hatchlings.  We therefore reinforced the fencing placed around each nest (standard protocol to keep out any unwanted visitors) and that seemed to solve the weasel problem.  Although they were still entering the enclosure, they could not get at the nests or the eggs. 

Even though we try to cover all our bases, there are always things that we cannot predict and subsequently prepare for.  Towards the end of August, Suzhou experience several severe thunder and lightning storms.  No one (human or animal) was hurt but the closed-circuit camera system we had installed was ruined.  The installation company has taken all the cameras and computer back to their factory to determine the extent of the damage and we are currently awaiting their final report before we can decide if the entire system needs to be replaced or if we just need to replace some of the parts. 

Soon, all of the collaborators on the project will meet again to wrap up this season and discuss options for next year.  Despite all the setbacks we’ve faced to date, all are hopeful that the “Year of the Rafetus” will be just around the corner.

When people ask me what I do on day to day basis, they’re often surprised to hear that a lot of it is purely observational. I am by the turtle enclosures making notes on their behaviors. The general response is always “How active can turtles be?” But I think the truth will surprise many.

A good understanding of animal behavior is an important part of any conservation program. By watching them on a daily basis under various conditions, I can get a sense of what’s normal and what isn’t. Sometimes behavioral changes can signal a change in the overall health of the animal. For example, both animals will come out of brumation around March or April and many people assume they are ravenous at this time and will want to eat constantly. The male does eat fairly regularly early on in the summer but will go off his food later on, when the ambient temperatures get really high. The female is the opposite and doesn’t begin seriously eating until after she’s laid a few clutches of eggs and it’s warmer out (around mid-July). If this were to suddenly change, i.e. the male doesn’t eat early in the season or eats during the periods of extreme heat, it may be a warning sign that something else going on.

The Asian box turtle Genus Cuora consists of 13 species, all of which have one thing in common, they are at very high risk of extinction. All but one of these species is listed as critically endangered by the IUCN Red List as of 2011.  Five of these species are ranked among the 25 most endangered turtle species on the planet, four more can be found in the “top 40” as assessed by the Turtle Conservation Coalition. Without any doubts, Cuora is the genus of turtle in most trouble in the world, threatened by the overharvest for the pet trade, turtle farms, food markets, traditional Chinese medicine and habitat destruction throughout its entire range.

Editor's Note: With both the male and female Rafetus up and basking, the 2011 breeding season is upon us and all those involved are gearing up for this year’s work. Emily King will be based at the Suzhou Zoo throughout the breeding season and will be providing blog updates on this critical conservaton breeding project. 
 
Hi! I’m Emily and I’ve been lucky enough to have worked with the Yangtze giant softshell turtles at the Suzhou Zoo since the female was introduced to the male back in 2008.  For me, there was never any doubt in my mind what I wanted to do when I grew up. I wanted to work with animals, specifically with wildlife or exotic species.  But it wasn’t until I graduated from university that I discovered what so many people already knew – that turtles are COOL.

Day 4 finally rolled around and it was time to sit back and listen to presentations on some of what are considered model programs for turtle conservation in the region.  First up is the Cuc Phuong Turtle Conservation Center in Vietnam, perhaps the best known and respected of all the regional centers due to its longevity.  The presentation was done by the young man in charge now, Hoan Van Thai. This was his first ever public presentation before an international audience and for a shy person, he did an admirable job.  He was followed by Shailendra Singh, TSA Turtle Conservation Coordinator, who presented a comprehensive 5-year overview of the Batagur program on the Chambal River Sanctuary in India.  This program is impressive in its scope and the number of hatchling Batagur (two species) that have been hatched and released (37,000 for B. dhongoka alone) is significant.  Many other components are involved including headstarting, local awareness and poacher conversion.

With all the country and trade reports as background information, and with the Red-listing behind us, the stage was finally set for the critical Day 3 of the workshop:  designing specific priority conservation actions for the most threatened species.  And though I am not at liberty to formally report the findings of the Red List workshop, I can tell you that the situation has worsened, in fact very considerably.  The number of species recommended for the Critically Endangered rank (the next most serious rank is Extinct In The Wild) now stands at 38% of the 86 Asian species, a 90% increase since the 1999 Cambodia workshop!!

On Tuesday morning - day two of the workshop - the seventy workshop participants reviewed the “Red List,” an internationally recognized database of the world’s most vulnerable species. Participants from countries throughout Asia provided the most up-to-date information on the status of each species. A few were determined to be secure enough now to consider lowering their Red List status, but for a significant number of other species the group agreed that they are now at a greater risk of extinction than when previously reviewed.

Despite numerous successes in captive breeding, habitat protection and community awareness, these dwindling species have suffered overwhelming stresses to their populations. Be it a poor fisherman trying to feed his family or a wildlife trader selling rare animals to an international collector for thousands of dollars, both result in animals being vacuumed from the wild.

We were happy to see some old friends and meet some new ones at the Conservation of Asian Tortoises and Freshwater Turtles workshop at the Singapore Zoo. Over 70 delegates from 20 countries, including 16 Asian nations were in attendance.

Hosted by the Wildlife Reserves Singapore and the Wildlife Conservation Society, in collaboration with the Turtle Survival Alliance, Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden, San Diego Zoo Global and the IUCN Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group, the workshop summarized the turtle conservation activities over the past ten years in Asia. 

Many of the same issues we heard about 10 years ago in Phnom Penh, Cambodia are still an issue, a disappointment but a reminder that we aren’t doing enough.  There were some great highlights to the day mingled amongst the somber news; our Asian friends have not been sitting by idly.  The scope and scale of the turtle trade in Asia is clearly still the problem and new countries and trade routes are being exploited.  The numbers of turtles passing through some of these countries is almost incomprehensible; one country reported in excess of 40,000 lbs of turtles registered as being traded per year.  This only represents what is passing through legally “on the books” and does not represent what is being transported illegally.  One market in China reported in excess of one million turtles being sold annually with most of the turtles being endangered or critically endangered.  Some of the rarer animals for the pet market are fetching prices of USD 25,000; it is little wonder these animals are being vacuumed from the landscape.