Race to save the ugly

In Vietnam, hundreds of people are racing to clean up a lake that's home to one of only four known specimens of a species of giant freshwater turtle.

Rafeteus swinhoei is revered, almost sacred to the Vietnamese, but sadly, this hasn't kept it from the brink of extinction.

Some even believe that the turtle currently living in Hoan Kiem lake is the same individual that helped a 15th-century king defeat an army with a weapon given to him by the gods. Unfortunately, this legendary status hasn't stopped people from throwing trash into the lake in Hanoi, which has become polluted and full of debris. Now, open wounds are visible when the turtle is spotted, as you can see on its neck in the photo above.

Would-be rescuers are cleaning the lake, pumping in fresh water, and hope to coax the turtle onto a small platform so they can treat its injuries.

Wishing them luck,
-Wombat (No Relation)