Sword Lake Turtle belongs to the 100 most dangerous species in the world

5 species of Vietnam have been listed in the list of 100 world's most endangered species, including Turtle Lake Sword.

The report is named "The 100 most endangered species in the world. Are they invaluable or not valuable?" is the work result of more than 8,000 scientists from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the London Zoological Association (ZSL). The list is published at the World Conservation Conference on Jeju Island, South Korea on September 11.

The species of Vietnam listed in the list include: Sao la (Pseudoryx nghetinhensis), white-edged pheasant (Lophura edwardsi), Turtle's sword (Rafetus swinhoei), flagfish (Pangasius sanitwongsei, pangasius) and langur upturned nose (Rhinopithecus avunculus).

Sword of Sword Lake

In the world, Sword Lake only has 4 individuals living in Hoan Kiem Lake, Dong Mo Lake and the other two in China. In recent years, to preserve this species, in Hanoi, the scientific community has brought a child to medical examination and released to the wild last year. However, until now, the leaders and scientific community have not yet given a plan to breed reproductive turtles for Sword Lake.

The Edwards's pheasant lives in Quang Binh, Quang Tri and Thua Thien Hue provinces that are threatened with extinction. According to scientists, they are gradually disappearing due to excessive hunting and habitat loss. Conservationists call for measures to restore living conditions and implement breeding programs.

Saola - known as "the unicorn of Asia" , is one of the threatened mammals in Southeast Asia. This species only has a few individuals living in the Truong Son mountain range, along the Vietnam - Laos border.

Tonkin snub-nosed monkeys are one of 25 primate species that are in danger of extinction on a global scale and are endemic to Vietnam. There are currently only four species of Tonkin snub-nosed monkeys in the world, of which three are in China and one is in our country. Although Vietnamese law regulates langurs protection, they are still being hunted and the number is decreasing dramatically. It is estimated that there are less than 200 in the wild, in the northeastern forests of Vietnam.

Flagfish mainly live in the Mekong River basin, Vietnam. They have been listed by the conservation organization as a red book since 1996.

Saola. (Photo: WWF)

In the list of the 100 endangered species selected from 48 different countries, researchers emphasize the three-fingered sloth (Bradypus pygmaeus) - the world's smallest species is facing serious extinction. This species is only found in Escudo Island, about 17m from the coast of Panama, Central America.

According to Jonathan Baillie, director of conservation of ZSL, sponsors often prioritize projects and programs that benefit people. Therefore, conservationists have difficulty in protecting organisms.

"We need to make important decisions: These species have the right to exist or humans have the right to bring them to the brink of extinction," said Jonathan Baillie.

Ellen Butcher, who works at the ZSL, added: "All species in the report are endemic, hard to replace. If they disappear, people with much money cannot revive them."