Hanoi turtle suffers from dermatitis: officials

VietNamNet 10 Apr 11;

The legendary turtle living in Hoan Kiem (Sword) Lake is suffering from dermatitis, according to an investigation released by Hanoi’s Turtle Treatment Association April 9 morning.

The test results show that the turtle had been infected with four kinds of bacteria.

They said the open wounds on the turtle’s legs and shell have shown signs of good recovery after five days of treatment.

Dr. Bui Quang Te – Head of Treatment Association – said that the DNA test in laboratories shows that the creature doesn’t contract a serious illness as many people anticipated earlier.

From the results, experts claimed that the giant reptile living in Hoan Kiem Lake is a new kind of turtle in Vietnam, totally different from huge soft-shell turtles living in Shanghai, China.

“However, our greatest problem now is the lake’s water pollution,” Te said.

The Lake is also home to many kinds of poisonous seaweed and mushrooms, which could be harmful to the creature’s health once the government releases it to its natural habitat, Te said, adding it could take a long time to finish dredging sediments at the bottom.

Authorities earlier put a steel tank in the lake where veterinarians can treat the injured turtle.

The steel tank measures 5 meters across and is covered with non-toxic paint and its water level can be varied between 20cm to 120cm.

Authorities have decided to pump water into it from the lake and not other sources to save time and effort and to avoid shocking the giant turtle.

They also installed an advanced water treatment system at the site.

Hanoi government also installed a 15 m tank to house the turtle during its recuperation period.

The treatment is expected to last around 90 days, including preliminary treatment, taking a sample for testing, diagnosis, and final treatment.

Source: Tuoi Tre