By Lê Hùng Vọng

An old turtle, estimated by locals to be about 50 years old, lost its way home last week. A neighbour in Bạc Liêu Province found the huge turtle in his shrimp-breeding pond on September 23.

Farmer Qúach Tấn Lực, 45, of Bạc Liêu City, said the turtle was living near the sullage pit of his pond. For a freshwater turtle, it was unusually large: 50cm long and 40cm wide, weighing 9 kilos.

Locals said the turtle must have lived in a nearby river that had recently been dredged. The change in the living environment, they surmised, caused the turtle to “evacuate” and head toward the shrimp pond.

News about the size of the turtle spread fast. A trader from HCM City contacted Lực, asking to buy it for VNĐ50 million.

But Lực refused. He took it to a nearby pagoda in Trà Kha Hamlet where the turtle was cared for before being released to its normal habitat.

On September 25, the pagoda officials released the turtle to the environment, thanks to Lực and his neighbours.-VNS