The only known female member of one of the world's rarest and most endangered turtle species has died in a Chinese zoo, authorities at the zoo in the East Chinese city of Suzhou confirmed on Sunday.

The Suzhou zoo also houses a male Yangtze giant softshell turtle. The other two live in Vietnam, but their genders are unknown.

China's state-run People's Daily newspaper said the deceased turtle was over 90 years old. She had been inseminated five times since 2008, with the last operation taking place shortly before her death.

Although the last insemination went smoothly and the turtle appeared to be in fine health after the procedure, her condition deteriorated the following day.

8 species on the brink in 2019 Northern white rhino This white rhino subspecies made headlines last year following the death of Sudan, the last known male of his kind, making the species functionally extinct. Some scientists are cautiously optimistic that it could be brought back with the help of IVF technology, while others say time has simply run out for the subspecies, meaning it won't be long before it disappears.

8 species on the brink in 2019 South China tiger The South China tiger is the most critically endangered of all tiger subspecies. No individual has been sighted in the wild since 1970, while the global captive population is likely to number less than 80. Some researchers have already declared the subspecies functionally extinct, but organizations such as Save China's Tigers (SCT) are persisting with their conservation efforts.

8 species on the brink in 2019 Amur leopard Fewer than 80 Amur leopards are believed to live in the wild, making it one of the rarest cats on the planet. Native to the forests of Southern China, Northern Russia and the Korean Peninsula, the amur leopard is threatened by poaching and deforestation. But there's still some hope — the leopard has found an unlikely refuge in the Korean Demilitarized Zone, which has become a haven for wildlife.

8 species on the brink in 2019 Vaquita Also known as the gulf porpoise, the vaquita is the rarest marine animal in the world, with less than 15 thought to exist as of March 2018. The porpoise has never been hunted directly but it often becomes entangled in illegal gillnets intended to capture the totoaba, another critically endangered fish found in the Gulf of California. Efforts to stop illegal fishing in the area have largely failed.

8 species on the brink in 2019 Black rhino Researchers fear the black rhino could suffer the same fate as its northern white cousin if conservation efforts aren't ramped up soon. The population currently numbers just over 5,000 individuals, although three subspecies have already been declared extinct. They are primarily threatened by illegal poaching, driven largely by demand for rhino horn on the black market.

8 species on the brink in 2019 Red wolf With fewer than 30 remaining in the wild, the red wolf is considered critically endangered and is the focus of conservation efforts. It's actually a genetic mix between the gray wolf and the coyote, and was decimated in the 1960s thanks to intensive predator control programs. The shy subspecies is native to the southeastern US and Florida, but today is only found in eastern North Carolina.

8 species on the brink in 2019 Saola First discovered in 1992, the elusive saola is often dubbed the 'Asian unicorn.' In fact, it's so rare that there have only been four confirmed sightings in the wild by researchers. They are found in the forests of Vietnam and Laos and are threatened by poaching and habitat destruction. The population is believed to have rapidly declined since its discovery, with no more than 100 likely to exist.

8 species on the brink in 2019 Eastern gorilla The largest living primate is critically endangered thanks to illegal hunting and deforestation. The lowland gorilla subspecies is more populous with 3,800 thought to live in the wild, while only about 880 mountain gorillas are thought to exist. Although conservation efforts have been lauded in recent years, there is still a long way to go before the population will be considered stable. Author: Ineke Mules



Efforts to protect the species

Media reports say that the turtle's death means that the city authorities' 13-year plan to artificially breed and save Yangtze turtles has failed.

Suzhou authorities say vets at the zoo are investigating the cause of the turtle's death.

The female Yangtze turtle was moved to Suzhou from the Changsha Ecological Zoo in 2008, to be paired with the male turtle there, which is now over 100 years old.

Yangtze giant softshell turtles, which originated in China, are believed to be the most endangered turtle species in the world. They weigh an average 115 kilograms (253 pounds).

Experts say that overfishing, habitat loss and other human activities are to blame for the decline in their population over the decades.