Workers carry an adult alligator from a feeding pool. [Wu Fang/China Daily] On November 27, about 10,000 Chinese alligators were moved from outdoor feeding pools to their winter home at the National Chinese Alligator Natural Reserve in Xuancheng, a city in the eastern province of Anhui. The reptiles, a Class I protected species that is endemic to East China, are coldblooded, so their metabolism and activity slow during winter, making them easier to handle. The animals, which are also known as Yangtze alligators, will eventually hibernate until spring, when they will be taken back to the outdoor pools. The reserve, which has been based in the suburbs of Xuancheng since the 1980s, is home to more than 15,000 Chinese alligators, including newly hatched reptiles. It is the world's largest breeding center for the species. There are many human-bred Chinese alligators, but in the wild they are on the verge of extinction. There are barely 300 individuals, including some that were born in captivity, but later released into natural surroundings, said Wang Renping, head of the center's information department. Though the center has made a great contribution to preserving the species from extinction, challenges remain, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has classified Chinese alligators as critically endangered. International attention In November, four alligators bred at the center in Xuancheng were taken to Shizuoka, a city on Japan's Pacific coast. They were the first to be sent overseas since 2006, when the practice was suspended because the center was in the process of changing its name and was therefore unable to obtain export certificates. To the best of our knowledge, the first Chinese alligators to be exported were sent to the United States in the 1950s, Wang said, adding that the reptiles were sent by the former Soviet Union because China and the US had not yet established diplomatic relations. Sun Siqing, director of the industrialization office at the breeding research center, which is based in the national reserve, said: Many zoos around the world are waiting for alligators bred at the center. Though the export of wild Chinese alligators is absolutely prohibited, exports of human-bred ones have been allowed since the 1980s. Sun's department is responsible for large-scale breeding programs, the administration of tourism at the center, and exports, which are considered vital to helping the outside world learn more about the species. In 1973, the International Union for Conservation of Nature added Chinese alligators to its Red List of Threatened Species. The animal's status as critically endangered means it faces an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild. As the most comprehensive inventory of conservation status, the list provides scientific information about species and subspecies at a global level. It is also aimed at drawing attention to the magnitude and importance of threatened biodiversity, influencing national and international policies and decision-making, and providing information to guide actions to conserve biological diversity, according to the organization's website. tyvek event wristbands24hourwristbandscustom rubber band braceletscheap rubber wristbands
The largest political party in Hong Kong suggested on Tuesday that the central government should make the identity information system for Hong Kong citizens compatible with the system used on the Chinese mainland.The Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong said the change would improve convenience for Hong Kong people in accessing services on the Chinese mainland. It would also contribute to a better sense of belonging among Hong Kong people, making them more willing to participate in the country's development, the party said.The remarks were made during a meeting with members of the media in Beijing.For the new five-year term, the Hong Kong party has three deputies serving in the country's top legislature, the National People's Congress, and three members in the top political advisory body, the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.Starry Lee Wai-king, a new CPPCC National Committee member and chairwoman of the party, said identity recognition would reduce the red tape Hong Kong people face when they want to study or work on the Chinese mainland.Under the current rules, residents must apply for a work permit if they want to work on the mainland.Identity recognition would give Hong Kong people easier access to career opportunities on the mainland, as they would be treated the same as their mainland compatriots. This would save significant time in applying and waiting for permits, Lee said.Meanwhile, with their identities recognized on the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong people would enjoy more convenience in daily life, Lee said.NPC deputy Tam Yiu-chung, a former chairman of the party, added that solving Hong Kong people's identity compatibility issues on the mainland would encourage them to really look at the mainland market as a stage on which they can reach their full potential, progressing with the country.
