China's list of endangered animals is depressingiy long. In spite of the odds against them, a number of rare animals continue to survive in the wild in small and remote areas. Notable among them are the small species of alligator in Anhui, the giant salamander in the fast-running waters of the Yangzi and Yellow Rivers, the Yangzi River dolphin in the lower and middle reaches of the river, and the pink dolphin of the Hong Kong islands of Sha Chau and Lung Kwu Chau. The famed giant panda is confined to the fauna-rich valleys and ranges of Sichuan; your best chances for sighting one is in Chengdu's Giant Panda Breeding Research Base . (For more on these infamous creatures.You can see the Siberian tiger in Heilongjiang's rather disheartening Siberian Tiger Park , and may be lucky enough to chance upon a golden monkey in the mountains of Sichuan, Yunnan and Guizhou. Other animals to make the endangered list include the snow leopard, South China tiger, chiru antelope, crested ibis, Asian elephant, red-crowned crane and black-crowned crane.

Intensive farmland cultivation, the reclaiming of wetlands, river damming, industrial and rural waste, and desertification are reducing un- protected forest areas and making the survival of many of these species increasingly precarious. Although there are laws against killing or capturing these rare creatures, their struggle for survival is further complicated as many remain on the most-wanted lists for traditional Chinese medi- cine and dinner delicacies.