Chinese Alligator Fund

The Chinese alligator (Alligator sinensis) is one of the world's rarest reptiles – there are now estimated to be less than 150 remaining in the wild, all of which occur in highly fragmented subpopulations.

From the moment he acquired his first Chinese alligator, Croc Man Shaun realised the plight of this most critically endangered species was one close to his heart. Today the zoo is committed to supporting ongoing conservation and research efforts through the Chinese Alligator Fund.

A fascinating and threatened species

Shaun tells us a bit more about this fascinating species with its remarkable subterranean lifestyle:

The shy, secretive Chinese alligator hunts mostly at night, feeding extensively on a wide variety of hard- shelled molluscs, but also birds, amphibians, reptiles, fish, and invertebrates. During winter months, it hibernates for four to six months in a complex burrow system.

While it originally ranged through much of China, this species' natural habitat has been reduced to little more than a few ponds containing a small number of animals along the lower Yangtze River in the provinces of Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Anhui.

What is the Chinese Alligator Fund doing?

There is a coordinated international breeding programme and Chinese alligators are protected to the maximum extent of Chinese and international law, but they still need effective international action to help secure corridors and expand ranges within their habitat.

The principal aim of the fund is to support conservation and research programmes.

The fund also works hard to educate both the public and the Chinese government about these incredible animals.

Does the Chinese alligator have a future?

A breeding program begun in 1979 offers some hope for its future - significant numbers have bred in captivity, including second-generation animals hatched through natural incubation. The goal is to increase the captive population and to prepare animals for reintroduction into the wild.

The Chinese alligator's nearest relative is the American alligator, which has rebounded in the southeastern U.S. thanks to conservation efforts.

Despite their low numbers, there is still hope for the Chinese alligator!

What can I do to help?

You might like to get involved by supporting our next open day. Crocodiles of the World make a donation from every 'animal encounter', when you can hold a Chinese alligator.

Alternatively, please click here to visit our donations page.

This will help our ongoing work to protect the Chinese alligator and start our own captive breeding programme here in the UK.