PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) – An endangered turtle was returned to the wild Friday, nearly six months after authorities saved it from becoming a meal in a Chinese restaurant.

The turtle was released into a river in southwestern Cambodia during a ceremony attended by wildlife conservationists, said Heng Sovannara, director of turtle conservation project at Cambodia’s Agriculture Ministry.

“He was in excellent shape and strong. He swam quickly away once we put it in the river,” Sovannara said. “He did not even raise his head to look back. No bye, bye.”

The turtle, known as the “Royal Turtle” because its eggs were once fed to kings, appeared healthy and gained about 2 pounds after six months of treatment for a variety of ailments, officials said.

It was recovered six months ago along with 30 other common species during a raid on a smuggler’s house in southern Vietnam.

Iowa doe comes with extra parts

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A hunter thought he might have bagged a trophy buck when he shot a 14-point deer in northeast Iowa earlier this month.

Eric Weymiller, 25, of rural Harpers Ferry, started to field dress the animal when to his surprise he noticed it wasn’t a buck at all.

“I noticed right away it was missing some plumbing,” said Weymiller, who shot the animal Dec. 7 in Allamakee County.

He discovered he was dressing a doe sporting antlers with 14 tines, a big rack even for a buck.

“I stopped field dressing the animal and called a DNR biologist,” Weymiller said. “I wanted them to document this.”

Iowa Department of Natural Resources Biologist Terry Hainfield confirmed that the animal was female.

“It is unusual to find a doe with antlers, but what makes this particularly unusual is that the antlers had hardened and grown so big,” Hainfield said.

Kennedy car flags sell for $450,000

NEW YORK (AP) – Two flags that flew from the convertible President John F. Kennedy was riding in when he was assassinated in 1963 sold at auction Saturday for $450,000.

The banners, one an American flag, the other bearing the presidential seal, were among the most-sought items at the three-day auction of memorabilia from the lives of John and Jacqueline Kennedy. Guernsey’s auction house declined to identify the buyer.

The auction featured more than 1,500 lots of items, most from the collection of the late Robert White, a Kennedy admirer who befriended the president’s secretary and inherited much of the memorabilia from her when she died.

Amtrak train, car hit in Hartford

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) – An elderly man, who drove his car into the path of an oncoming Amtrak train Saturday, escaped serious injury.

It took firefighters about 20 minute to free the 80-year-old driver, who was conscious and talking to rescuers the entire time, police said. He was taken to Hartford Hospital for evaluation. Authorities say he suffered a broken rib and cut to the head.

His name was not released.

The accident occurred just after 2 p.m. on tracks that cross Hamilton Street. The driver of the car was the only occupant.

Witnesses told police the gates were down and lights flashing when the car entered the tracks.

“He crashed into and broke the first wooden barrier and got hit by the train,” Police Sgt. Dan Albert said.

The train was the northbound Vermonter bound from Washington to St. Albans, Vt.

Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari said no one on the train was injured and that the train sustained minor damage. It carried about 110 passengers plus crew and was delayed an hour and 15 minutes, Magliari said.

AP-ES-12-17-05 2205EST