Microchip saves rare Cambodian turtle from landing in Chinese soup pot

HANOI, Vietnam (AP) - They're calling him "the lucky royal turtle" - he's an endangered reptile that was saved from a Chinese soup pot by keen-eyed wildlife officers and a tiny microchip. He was taken from a Cambodian river two months ago and toted across the Vietnamese border on a motorbike, along with a stash of other, more common, turtles. Conservationists say that at 15 kilograms, the animal was sure to have fetched a good price when it reached the smuggler's destination - food markets in China.

Turtle meat is a delicacy in China, and is often made into soup.

But a raid on the smuggler's house in southern Vietnam saved the turtle, and wildlife officers were surprised to see how big he was, and later, the microchip in his wrinkly skin.

The microchip pinpointed the turtle's exact home, where he is now being shipped back to.

He was shipped back to Cambodia last week and is undergoing health checks before being released back into the wild.

Experts say there are only about two to eight females remaining there, making this adult male turtle's return even more vital. It was tagged for research two years ago and had not been seen until its discovery in Vietnam.