One thousand artificially bred giant salamanders, a rare amphibian, were freed into streams in Jing'an County, east China's Jiangxi Province on Monday, to increase its population in the wild.

In a previous similar endeavor, 200 giant salamanders were released in central China's Hunan Province, said Liu Qing, an official with the Fishery Bureau of the Ministry of Agriculture, in Jing'an County on Monday. Liu said the release is the largest-ever effort to help the artificially-bred salamanders return to their natural habitat.

Artificial proliferation is playing a key role in protecting the endangered species, said Liu.

Jing'an County, one of the most suitable habitat for the amphibians, has set up the country's first nature reserve and research center for giant salamanders. Currently, more than 10,000 giant salamanders are artificially bred in Jing'an annually.

(Xinhua News Agency May 24, 2005)