The Chinese Alligator National Nature Reserve in Xuancheng City of east China's Anhui Province moves more than 8,000 Chinese alligators indoors to aid their annual hibernation during winter.

The Chinese alligator or Yangtze alligator, which is under first-class state protection in the country, will go through hibernation indoors when the outdoor temperature averages 10 degrees Celsius in the area.

Xuancheng City has thousands of alligators bred in captivity, with 200 alligators in each age group occupying a breeding pond which is too small to provide enough room for them to burrow and survive the winter. Therefore, it is essential for breeders to help them move to the warm greenhouse in the nature reserve to spend the winter.

(Image via screenshot)

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