Gator aid for endangered Chinese alligators
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E-mail China Daily, September 20, 2012
Shy alligators
Despite their fearsome appearance, Chinese alligators are rather shy and not much of a threat to humans - but don't get too close, those big jaws are intended to crush.
The number of wild Chinese alligators dropped from around 500 in 1985 to less than 130 in 2003. The remaining number in the wild is estimated to be around 120, according to a recent census.
In 1979, the Chinese Alligator Breeding Research Center was established in Anhui, where the reptiles breed rapidly in captivity. The number of capitive Chinese alligators is estimated at more than 20,000 and rising. But there are problems in captivity - juveniles don't know how to dig caves or burrows to hibernate and they are used to waiting to be fed. Further, since the gene pool is limited, birth defects are increasing and quite a number of animals are not viable.
"Breeding centers around the nation are flooded with captive Chinese alligators, but the number means nothing if they are genetically degraded," says Shen Jiajun, marketing manager of Chongming's 6-hectare Dongtan Wetland Park.
Alligators have rarely been reintroduced to the wild, and one of the first attempts was made in the Dongtan wetlands.
Professor He remembers the scene more than five years ago when the six alligators, three from American zoos and three from Zhejiang - all equipped with radio transmitters - slowly crawled into a marshland pond. It was a joint project of Chinese and American scientists supported by the Wildlife Conservation Society and the Chinese government.
Shen says the three Chinese alligators from the US come from a different gene pool and can increase genetic diversity and the species ability to survive.
So far the alligators are doing well, as far as scientists can tell. They found food and dug burrows. Two died when they were caught in fishing nets but the remain later began to breed.
In October 2008, researchers found an alligator's nest in the middle of the release pond and there were 16 broken eggshells inside, indicating hatchlings. Since then, new nests and juveniles have been spotted, but the exact number isn't known.
Inside the wetland park, alligator food is not a problem, though the park itself struggles financially to survive, despite visitors.
"It's the perfect breeding area, with fish, crabs and other small animals, offering an ideal menu for the reptile," Shen says.
Still, much work remains to be done before the reintroduction program can be considered successful.
"The best outcome is a self-sustained wild population on this island," researcher He says. More reptiles may be introduced to the wetlands, he says.
The pictures taken on the recent night searches will be analyzed for indications of how the population is growing and the gender ratio.
"Everyone is delighted so far with all the preparation and research," Professor He says. He recalled the efforts of scientists, especially the late American conservationist, John Thorbjarnarson, who helped rescue many species from the brink of extinction.
"He told us that reintroduced alligators are best left alone and unbothered in the wild," he says.
This May six alligators were released in Chinese Alligator Breeding Research Center in Anhui, bringing the total released there to 51.
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