China has started returning captive-bred Yangtze alligators to their natural habitat in a project to boost numbers in the wild.
More than ten reserve zones will be set up in Anhui, Zhejiang, Shanghai and Jiangsu in the next ten years, covering 150 to 200 hectares which will be able accommodate 300 to 500 alligators.
The program, which is supported by the World Conservation Union,is aimed at turning China's efforts from captive breeding toward returning alligators to the wild and protecting the existing wild alligators.
The program in Anhui will cost more than 15 million yuan (US$1.9 million).
The Yangtze alligator is a rare species unique to China and under first-class state protection. With the success of captive breeding, the number of artificially bred Yangtze alligators has climbed to 10,000 while the number of wild alligators has dropped sharply to less than 150, sources said.
The species will probably be extinct in 25 years without protective measures, experts predict.
(Xinhua News Agency April 26, 2002)
