The turtle, that weighs 30 kilos and measures 75 cm in length, is a southern Vietnamese turtle with its scientific name Amyda Cartilaginea, noted Assistant Professor Ha Dinh Duc who has studied turtle species for years.

He added that the species primarily lives in canals, rivers, lakes and rice fields. In Vietnam, they are usually distributed in the provinces of Thua Thien - Hue, Dak Lak, Lam Dong, and Khanh Hoa.

The 50-year-old turtle is thought to have drifted to the park during the recent heavy rain, reported Duc.

People are flocking to the park to catch a glimpse of the rare creature. One individual even offered to buy the turtle at a price of VND50 million but the management declined, stating that they wish to release it into Hanoi’s Hoan Kiem Lake to live with legendary Turtle Lord.