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Chinese Alligator
 Known locally as the "muddy dragon," the Chinese alligator (Alligator sinensis) is balanced on the edge of extinction in the wild. Dragons have long been a symbol of strength and perseverance in China. While the Chinese government has successfully developed a captive breeding program for the alligator, the wild population has continued a steady slide towards extinction, and now number less than 130 individuals. Unlike its abundant American cousin, Chinese alligators, found only in a tiny area in the lower Yangtze valley, are refugees in a landscape where extensive natural wetlands have been converted almost entirely to rice paddies.  To save these animals, WCS biologists are working with Chinese wildlife authorities to protect and restore remaining wetlands. New alligator populations will be established by releasing animals currently being reared in captivity. A trial alligator reintroduction program began in April 2003 with the release of three animals, a project being carried out by WCS, the East China Normal University, and the Anhui Province Forestry Department. In the United States, WCS is also coordinating the captive breeding of Chinese Alligators as part of the American Zoo and Aquarium Association's Species Survival Programs.
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