Anhui's Wild Yangtze Alligator Population Exceeds 1,000

May 22nd marked the first International Day for Biological Diversity after the 15th Conference of the Parties (COP15) to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity. During a provincial press conference on biodiversity conservation in Anhui, it was announced that the population of the 'living fossil' Chinese alligator (also known as the Yangtze alligator) in the wild had exceeded 1,000. In 2022, a historical record was set with 26 nests containing 602 Chinese alligator eggs monitored in the wild, resulting in the hatching of 372 young alligators.

Historic High: 372 Young Chinese Alligators Hatched in the Wild

In recent years, Anhui has conducted a series of large-scale activities for reintroducing Chinese alligators into the wild, which has had a significant social impact. To comprehensively monitor the dynamic changes in the population of Chinese alligators in the wild, a field population survey for the year 2023 was officially launched on May 8th, jointly conducted by the administration of Anhui Chinese Alligator National Nature Reserve and the College of Life Sciences of Anhui Normal University.

"May and June are the mating season for Chinese alligators, making it easier to spot them during this period," said Professor Yan Peng from the College of Life Sciences at Anhui Normal University. He mentioned that ten population resource surveys on Chinese alligators have been conducted since the 1980s. "This survey follows the comprehensive wild population resource surveys carried out in 2021 and 2022."

"In 2022, 26 nests containing 602 Chinese alligator eggs were monitored in the wild, resulting in the hatching of 372 young alligators, setting a new historical record. This demonstrates the positive development trend of the wild population," said Zhang Lingfeng, Deputy Director of the Anhui Provincial Forestry Bureau. He pointed out that to improve the living environment for wild Chinese alligators, Anhui had restored 263 hectares of their core habitat.

According to Zhang Lingfeng, the stable population of wild Chinese alligators has now exceeded 1,000 individuals. Alongside efforts to protect and recover the wild Chinese alligator population, Anhui continues to strengthen research on artificial breeding techniques and the construction of breeding facilities. The Chinese Alligator Breeding Center in the province currently has 73 feeding pools and 12 breeding ponds, with an annual breeding capacity of around 1,000 individuals.

Zhang also mentioned that in 2021, Anhui invested over 16 million yuan in exploring on-site overwintering and feeding methods for Chinese alligators, and built approximately 2.39 hectares of basic infrastructure capable of accommodating over 2,000 adult alligators. Based on a comprehensive summary of artificial breeding techniques for Chinese alligators, the province also released the "General Technical Standards for Chinese Alligator Feeding and Breeding". This document is the first local standard on this issue in China, addressing a gap in Chinese alligator breeding technology.

Building a Spatial Protection System and Expanding Wetland Conservation Network

In March 2022, Anhui took the lead nationwide in issuing the "Implementation Opinions on Further Strengthening Biodiversity Conservation," which has achieved positive results in promoting biodiversity conservation in the province. Currently, Anhui's registration list for forest germplasm resources includes over 1,300 species, and the collection of germplasm resources for crops has reached 5,481 samples. The population of the Yangtze finless porpoise, an ecological indicator of the Yangtze River, has shown a significant increase in the river's Anhui section. The presence of numerous bird species, including the Oriental white stork and the black-faced spoonbill, has transitioned from "initial sightings" to "frequent sightings" in Anhui, which serves as a strong endorsement of the province's environmental protection efforts.

Regarding spatial ecological protection system building, Anhui has two national priority areas for biodiversity conservation: the Dabie Mountains and the Huangshan-Huaiyushan region. The province is home to 109 nature reserves, providing refuge for endangered wildlife such as the Chinese giant salamander and the Katsura tree as well as the typical forest ecosystem in subtropical and temperate transition zones. The Qingliang Peak National Nature Reserve, renowned as the "species gene bank in the East China region," is one of the most concentrated areas for plant species distribution in Anhui Province.

Wetlands are often referred to as the "kidneys of the Earth" as they possess multiple ecological functions and harbor abundant natural resources. According to Anhui Provincial Forestry Bureau, Anhui's wetland conservation network enlarged in 2022 after the province established three provincial-level wetland nature parks in Wuhu City, Anqing City, and Guoyang County, and jointly released its second Wetlands of Provincial Importance list containing 7 wetlands across the province. Furthermore, the province plans to enact The Implementation Measures for the Wetlands Conservation Law of the People's Republic of China of Anhui Province and publish a Wetland Conservation Plan of Anhui (2022-2030).