A meter-long Chinese giant salamander, a critically endangered amphibian, was spotted on the banks of the Yangtze River near the Puluosi Port located in Fuling District, southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, on Tuesday.

A local resident had found a "big fish" stranded in the shallow water in the afternoon. "We were playing at the river bank and we saw a fish in the water. It swam over here and it did not leave," he said. 

The resident called the local fishery department immediately. 

Another local resident also saw the animal. "It tried to swim into a hole but failed. The fish bumped its head and bled," he said.

Staff of the fishery department captured the salamander and brought it on shore. It measured about one meter in length. 

"I'm positive that this is Chinese giant salamander," said Ren Shangbing, law enforcement officer of the Supervision and Management Station of Fuling District.

According to officials of the fishery department, it is particularly rare to find a Chinese giant salamander in Fuling. 

"After we bring it back, we will release it into the wild. We will try to release it into its original habitat, such as the Muzong River or the Youyang Tujia and Miao Autonomous County. If we release it into the local environment, it will not be able to mate and reproduce, and then end up dying here (alone)," said Ren.

The Chinese giant salamander is the largest amphibian in the world and under second-class protection in China.

(Cover image via VCG.)

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