by Jordan Gray
 
Just as quickly as we said goodbye to most of “Team Radiata 1,” we have said “hello” or “salama” to a new group of amazing wildlife warriors in Ifaty, Madagascar! “Team Radiata 2” arrived from the United States over the weekend and beginning of this week, and again consists of veterinarians, veterinary technicians, husbandry specialists, construction specialists, communications specialists, and additional support personnel. These passionate recruits for the mission at hand represent the Turtle Survival Alliance (TSA), San Diego Zoo (SDZG), Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), Shedd Aquarium (SA), Angkor Centre for Conservation of Biodiversity (ACCB), Turtle and Tortoise Preservation Group (TTPG), as well as private businesses, students, and citizen scientists. We are excited for the new ideas, specialties, and enthusiasm that they bring!
To ensure the nearly 10,000 Radiated Tortoises (Astrochelys radiata
The Turtle Survival Alliance has confirmed that one of the world's four known remaining Yangtze Giant Softshell Turtles (
Rafetus swinhoei), has died in Vietnam. This turtle – believed to be a male - was highly revered in Vietnam and was a long-time occupant of Hoan Kiem Lake in the heart of downtown Hanoi. Sightings of the turtle attracted large crowds, as well as visitors from around the world.
This turtle made global news back in 2011 when health concerns prompted officials to capture the turtle for medical treatment and mount a massive cleanup effort for the polluted lake.
The death of this 
Rafetus reduces the known number of living animals to three: one in a protected lake in Vietnam and a pair at the Suzhou Zoo in China. Since 2008, this pair has been the subject of 
intensive efforts to encourage them to reproduce in captivity as a last ditch effort to save the species, currently recognized as the most endangered turtle in the world.
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