Yangtze's 'living fossil'

Some 1 million artificially bred Chinese sturgeon are being released into the wild each year, Hou Liqiang and Liu Kun report.

Editor's note: As protection of the planet's flora, fauna and resources becomes increasingly important, China Daily is publishing a series of stories to illustrate the country's commitment to safeguarding the natural world.

In a high-stakes effort to save one of the world's most ancient fish species, Chinese scientists have built a self-sustaining captive population of the Chinese sturgeon — a critical breakthrough as the wild population teeters on the brink of total collapse.