Advances in wildlife preservation techniques have been fueling a steady rise in the wild giant salamander population in China's largest wild giant salamander nature reserve, lifting the rare amphibian's population to 13,800.
The reserve, located in Zhangjiajie City, central China's Hunan Province, is home to 745 rivers and streams, all protected to allow wildlife to thrive.
In Zhangjiajie's giant salamander rescue and breeding center, a 3,000-square-meter ecological breeding area features over 100 caves for the salamanders.
Researchers there have been meticulously replicating their natural habitats by constructing streams and caves, enabling the salamanders to mate and reproduce naturally.
The efforts have paid off. Recent data indicates that the wild giant salamander population in Zhangjiajie has increased to 13,800, nearly doubling from 7,000 in 2015.
Known as the "infant fish" in Chinese because its vocalization bears a striking resemblance to the crying of a young human child, the giant salamander is the largest extant amphibian in the world and can reach up to two meters in length. The species can date back over 100 million years to the Jurassic period, earning it another nickname as a "living fossil of the water".
Listed as "extremely endangered" on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, it is crucial to the protection of global biodiversity resources.
Hunan strengthens wild giant salamander protection at replicate habitat
