Artificial fertilization will be used to help the rare animals reproduce. Since there are only three living Swinhoe's softshell turtles remaining in the world, the copulation is the last hope to protect the highly endangered species.
According to experts, although the remaining Swinhoe's softshell turtles are relatively old, they can live for two to three hundred years with proper breeding.
An ancient species that dates back 270 million years ago, the turtle which is also known as "aquatic giant panda" is even more endangered than the Chinese sturgeon. All Swinhoe's softshell turtles in the wild died out in the 1960s. Besides the two remaining species in China, there is another male one in Vietnam.
Scientists are hoping that Spring fever is still in the air for the 80-year-old turtle and her 100-year-old male companion, who together make up the last two captive specimens on the planet. The geriatric couple was united last year in an attempt to breed the pair, but none of the fertilized eggs were able to hatch, most likely due to a calcium deficiency in her diet.
If the elderly turtles don’t have a successful mating this year, it may spell the end of a species.
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