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Conservationists have new hopes of saving extremely rare turtle species from the brink of extinction after discovering there are at least one male and female still alive.

There are thought to be only four Swinhoe's softshell turtles left in the world, but they hope to be able to raise the numbers through a breeding programme.

Scientists hadn't been sure if the latest turtle they had found was male or female, but it's now been revealed to be female - meaning it can mate with a male Swinhoe's softshell turtle in Suzhou Zoo in China.

There are thought to be another two turtles in lakes in Vietnam but so far their sexes are unknown.

Conservationists hope to find the exact location of the other turtles this coming spring in the hope that one male and female can be given a chance to breed, and this species can return from the brink of extinction.

Previous to this discovery, there had been a major effort to breed the remaining two known remaining members of the species.

Male and female turtles had failed to produce offspring naturally since they were brought together in 2008, and the last known female Swinhoe's softshell turtle died in 2019 after a procedure to try and help her to have a baby.

Timothy McCormack, Program Director of the Asian Turtle Program of Indo-Myanmar Conservation said: "Hopefully we have a male and a female, in which case breeding and recovery of the species becomes a real possibility.

"At the same time our surveys in other areas of Vietnam suggest other animals might still survive in the wild, we need to be looking at bringing these together as part of the broader conservation plan for the species."

Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Vietnam Country Director Hoang Bich Thuy added: "Over hunting and habitat destruction have contributed to the demise of this species. In Vietnam, with the leadership of the government, we are determined to take responsibility to give this species another chance."