BEIJING, April 17 (Xinhuanet) -- Researchers from the U.S. Cleveland Metroparks Zoo claimed they had discovered a rare giant turtle that has been thought extinct in northern Vietnam, media reported Wednesday.

    But an expert confirmed the find was based on a photo that a coordinator of the zoo program showed him.

    "It looked like pretty solid evidence. The animal has a pretty distinctive head," said turtle expert Peter Pritchard, president of the Chelonian Research Institute.

    The discovery represents hope for the species, said Doug Hendrie, the Vietnam-based coordinator of the zoo program.

    Swinhoe's soft-shell turtle was previously thought to be extinct in the wild, said experts from the Zoo's Asian turtle program.

    The turtle remains in the lake and researchers have notified the Vietnamese government of its existence, Hendrie said.

    (Agencies)