China is home to an animal whose ancestors neighbored dinosaurs. It's one of the earliest dwellers on Earth. Having evolved over 150 million years, it is still with us today. This living fossil is called the Chinese alligator. 

Located in Xuancheng City, Anhui Province, the Chinese Alligator National Nature Reserve has become an ideal habitat for the alligators, with plenty of lakes, ponds and marshes. For multiple reasons, the number of Chinese alligators once declined close to extinction, and their habitat has shrunk to southern Anhui alone. However, through years of efforts of research institutions and the government, the Chinese alligator population is gradually recovering.

About 'Journeys in Nature': Southern Anhui Series

In this series, we take you on a tour of southern Anhui, the area south of the Yangtze River in east China's Anhui Province, where the world's cultural and natural heritage, Mount Huangshan, lies. Not only magnificent natural landscapes but also magical species, such as the Chinese alligator and stump-tailed macaque, can be found in this area.

For more:

Southern Anhui Series | Episode 1: Stone peaks

Southern Anhui Series | Episode 2: Huangshan Pine

Southern Anhui Series | Episode 4: Sea of clouds

Southern Anhui Series | Episode 5: A green Xanadu

Southern Anhui Series | Episode 6: Mountains of gold

(Cover image via screenshot)

(If you want to contribute and have specific expertise, please contact us at nature@cgtn.com.)