In early May, a little-known nonprofit offered a reward unprecedented in China’s conservation circles: 100,000 yuan ($14,000) for a single photo or video of the Yangtze giant softshell, a species so rare it may already be extinct in the wild.

The post, published by the Endangered Species Fund, spread quickly on social media, and dozens of messages followed. Some showed pet turtles. Others came from temple ponds or were clearly lifted from the internet. Most were misidentified — Chinese softshells, Ganges softshells, or other large turtles.

The most convincing lead showed a turtle with the correct shell markings, reportedly photographed at a reservoir in southwestern China’s Yunnan province. It turned out to be from Vietnam.

Zhang Xiaolei, who leads the Endangered Species Fund, called the reward a final shot at finding the turtle before the species disappears entirely. Posted across multiple social media platforms, the notice also detailed the biological and conservation value of the animal.

Only one Yangtze giant softshell turtle is known to exist in China. Nicknamed Susu, the turtle is at Suzhou Shangfangshan Forest Animal World, formerly known as Suzhou Zoo, in eastern China, and is believed to be over 100 years old. The last known female in China died in 2019 during a failed artificial insemination procedure.

By June, the post had drawn nearly 2,000 likes and dozens of comments on the popular lifestyle app Xiaohongshu, known globally as RedNote — some offering sightings, others pledging money to boost the reward. The campaign spread quickly, triggering a brief surge of public interest in a species most had never heard of.

Vanishing point

Once common in China’s Yangtze River basin and Vietnam’s Red River region, the Yangtze giant softshell turtle — Rafetus swinhoei — is now classified as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, and carries the highest level of wildlife protection in China. 

Sometimes called the “panda of the water,” adults can weigh over 100 kilograms and live more than a century. By the late 20th century, overhunting and habitat loss had taken a toll. Riverbanks were cleared, wetlands drained, and dams and factories cut off nesting grounds. Fewer turtles meant fewer eggs — and fewer chances to recover.

“That’s partly why we decided to issue the reward this year,” Zhang explained. “It’s also my last personal attempt to see if we might find something.”

Zhang has followed the turtle’s breeding efforts closely since 2019. “This feels like a critical moment,” he told Sixth Tone. “After the death of the last female, some people like me have been following the species. The loss was so immense. As someone who has spent years protecting endangered animals, I’ve never been able to let it go.”

Since 2020, Zhang and his team have conducted field surveys across central and southern China, visiting dozens of sites. Travel restrictions during the pandemic stalled their progress, but in 2023, Zhang resumed searching along the lower Yangtze. He found nothing. 

Now, the Honghe basin in southeastern Yunnan is considered the species’ most likely remaining habitat.

Zhang’s nonprofit is small, with just five full-time staff. Funding is limited. Much of the work — from field travel to online monitoring of the illegal wildlife trade — is self-financed or supported through small-scale crowdfunding. He also files public interest lawsuits and helps train local patrollers. “We do what we can with what we have,” he said.

In total, Zhang’s team has raised only about 100,000 yuan over the past few years — the exact amount offered in the reward. If someone does manage to find a turtle, he hopes to cover the cost through donations. If not, he says he’ll pay it himself.

He believes the post helped raise awareness, adding that several photos appeared to be taken in temple ponds, where turtles are often kept and where the species might still survive.

That’s why Zhang reviews most of the submissions himself. If a lead seems credible, he brings in outside experts — but the process is slow, and the margin for error is wide. Many photos are blurry. More importantly, few know what a juvenile Yangtze giant softshell even looks like, since most known specimens are adults.

“They’ve likely been misidentified for decades,” he said. “And never received proper protection.”

Among those drawn to the search is Chen Hailin, a 20-year-old university student studying at Erasmus University Rotterdam, in the Netherlands, who says the species’ possible extinction — and the lack of progress in conservation — pushed him to act.

In May, Chen emailed more than 100 researchers around the world, asking for updated data. About 20 replied, sharing DNA samples, infrared monitoring data, and even unpublished specimen records.

He then encouraged residents in Yunnan to join the search, offering to help identify turtles and share everything he had gathered. A few sent photos. Chen passed the most promising ones to experts.

“Even if this species eventually goes extinct,” he said, “at least more people will have seen what it looks like. That’s a form of education, too. I won’t have any regrets — I did my best.”

Zhang even recalled one person who reached out after accidentally catching a turtle while fishing. It wasn’t the species they were looking for, and after learning more, the person chose to release it.

“Through this campaign, more people have learned about these species and become more conscious of protecting them,” he said. “From our perspective, that’s a positive outcome.”

He added that more visitors have visited Shangfangshan Forest Animal World recently — just to catch a glimpse of the last known Yangtze giant softshell turtle in China.

However, not everyone agrees with the public-facing approach. Some conservationists warn that reward campaigns can backfire and even encourage habitat disturbance, or worse, the capture of wild turtles.

“Even experts can confuse a juvenile Yangtze giant softshell turtle with a Chinese softshell turtle,” said Wen Cheng, a member of the Turtle and Tortoise Specialist Group at the IUCN. “If people act on vague resemblances, they could end up harming native species.”

Wen argues that resources would be better spent on long-term scientific surveys. “China has very few turtle specialists and even fewer with field experience,” he said. “Most research into the Yangtze giant softshell turtle has stalled in recent years for lack of funding. Even the occasional survey tends to be fragmented and unsupported.”

Zhang asserts that the campaign has helped raise awareness. “Most of China’s native turtle species are already extinct in the wild,” he said. “Even after working in conservation for years, if you asked me to go find one in the wild, I wouldn’t know where to look.”

He argues that public interest is essential in a field starved of attention and resources. “China has over 20 species of turtles and tortoises, many of which are critically endangered. Through this effort, people are learning about them, and that matters.”

Zhang also resists calling the reward a stunt. “I hope it’s seen as a call to action,” he said. “A way to get people to care about and protect these animals before they’re gone.”

One recent message described a large turtle spotted in Yunnan, considered one of the species’ last possible refuges. Zhang plans to investigate in late June or early July.

“I think there’s only a 1% chance of finding it,” he said. “But even if it’s just 1%, I’d be thrilled. If we actually find one, I could retire. My dream will be fulfilled.”

Additional reporting: Wu Yufei; editor: Apurva.

(Header image: An illustration of the Yangtze giant softshell turtle, “The Annals and Magazine of Natural History: Zoology, Botany, and Geology,” Vol. XII, Fourth Series, 1873. From public domain)