Mission Red River 2025

Turtle Sanctuary is committed to ensuring the survival of the Yangtze Giant Softshell Turtle (Rafetus swinhoei) in the wild. Since 2019, our organization has been leading a research program dedicated to this species, initiated through the collection of data on its geographic distribution and ecology within the river systems of northern Vietnam. This work is based on the rigorous implementation of structured interviews, combined with modeling analyses aimed at identifying the habitats most likely to be occupied by R. swinhoei within Vietnam.

In 2025, these investigations were continued along the Red River across three provinces in northern Vietnam: Lao Cai, Yen Bai, and Phu Tho.

During this mission, a total of 47 interviews were conducted with local fishers, covering approximately 1,800 km by scooter and 120 km by boat. These surveys yielded valuable information not only on R. swinhoei, but also on several other chelonian species present in the region, notably Palea steindachneri, Pelodiscus sp., and Mauremys sinensis.