Hà Đình Đức, a Vietnamese biologist and lecturer known for researching Hanoi’s Hoan Kiem turtle and advocating to protect its habitat, died Aug. 7, 2026, at 86, according to Lao Động.
He graduated in zoology from Hanoi General University in 1963 and remained there as a lecturer. His biology work included research on monkeys and gray cattle.
After seeing the turtle surface on March 15, 1991, he began sustained research on it. On Feb. 15, 1992, he wrote to the Council of Ministers opposing a plan to dredge Hoan Kiem Lake and replace its water, warning that the work could damage the turtle’s habitat. On March 3, authorities ordered officials not to proceed with the dredging or water replacement while they reviewed the matter.
In 2000, he gave the Hoan Kiem turtle the scientific name Rafetus leloii, which appeared in issue 4 of Archaeology. The proposed classification would distinguish the Hanoi turtle from related giant softshell turtles, but its scientific status remained unsettled and required further study.
In 2011, after Đức urged Hanoi to respond to the turtle’s injuries and deteriorating lake conditions, city officials ordered an emergency effort to capture and treat it. The turtle remained in artificial pools from April 3 through July 12 before officials returned it to Hoan Kiem Lake in good health.
