A GIANT salamander measuring 80 centimeters and weighing 2.5 kilograms was found by citizens on a roadside in Jia’an Community, Bao’an District, recently, Shenzhen Special Zone Daily reported.

The endangered animal was spotted by two on-duty security patrol officers of the community at noon Nov. 14. They couldn’t find the owner of the animal after inquiries, so they kept an eye on the animal and sought assistance from professional institutions.

According to the staff members of the Bao’an brigade of the marine law enforcement detachment under the city’s planning and natural resources bureau, the animal is an adult giant salamander and shows normal and healthy vital signs.

The law enforcers spoke highly of the awareness and practice of the two patrol officers in protecting wild animals, and temporarily took the giant salamander back to the detachment, contacted experts and searched for information for proper assistance according to relevant procedures.

Two days later, the Bao’an brigade of the marine law enforcement detachment transferred the giant salamander to Shenzhen Safari Park for professional caretaking.

Chinese giant salamanders, which can date back to the age of the dinosaurs, are the world’s largest existing amphibians and a critically endangered species under State-level protection.

(Zhang Yu)