19th century, Chinese alligator-infested in the Yangtze River, Hubei, Anhui, Jiangxi and Jiangsu Province, hi dig hole built on hills and Lake Creek gully river shallows, but this reptile was without water. It clumsiness slow on land, once into the water, but a duck. And this amphibious characteristics, resulting in the tragic fate of the alligator. Farmland, hills and vegetation in the shallows Chinese Alligator Point building was reclaimed to be a lot more damage, water storage capacity greatly reduced hills, drought and waterlogging occurs frequently, so Chinese alligator had to leave their caves, looking for a suitable habitat. This migration process has created opportunities for natural death and human hunting. Over the years a large number of Chinese alligators were hunted cave vandalism, bad or Taozou egg pounded. The use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides is also greatly reduced the Alligator main food - the number of aquatic animals. Chinese alligator currently reduced to a narrow area distribution of Jiangxi, Anhui and Zhejiang provinces border.
1970s a lot of protection. 1979 in Xuancheng Chinese Alligator Breeding Research Center was established in 1980 to establish a Chinese Alligator Nature Reserve. At the same time our people have carried out a series of protection of their actions, so that the number of Chinese alligators has increased. 1983 census found that only 500 the number of wild Chinese alligator. Census 1992 found that the number increased to 900 wild Chinese alligator. Chinese Alligator Breeding Research Center but also made outstanding achievements in recent years, has hatched baby crocodile 7000. This is very gratifying, artificial breeding of great success, created the conditions for the recovery of the number of Chinese alligators.
Today, China has about 10,000 head or more in captivity alligator, Chinese alligator breeding centers mainly located in China Xuancheng City in Anhui, and many zoos. Since the 1970s, China's scientists onto the bumpy journey alligator artificial breeding, artificial incubation of crocodile eggs now, artificial breeding techniques have come crocodile population in the world. In their tireless efforts, the number of alligator from the initial construction field 170 to
more than 4,000, and now every year the number of breeding in more than 1000, Chinese alligator has become the first approved by the Convention on International Trade can be a commodity development and utilization of Threatened Animals.