A Fisherman accidentally found a 200-year-old endangered salamander in a Chinese cave. Unlike other salamanders, this one is a giant creature with size about 4.5 feet long, as per a report of the People’s Daily online.

The paper also reported that size of the Chinese giant salamander, Andrias davidianus, is not surprising as it can grow to more than six feet long. The finding has grabbed attention because the salamander species is critically endangered. The researchers moved the ancient animal to a research facility.

Some people predict the salamander species could be a target for Chinese poachers as the amphibian is delicacy in the East Asian country. As Chinese people consider the salamander a great delicacy, its population has dropped more than 80% in last just five decades.

Researchers came to know about the salamander when a fisherman claimed that he found an ancient giant amphibian in a Chinese cave. The researchers examined the creature and found the ancient beast may be two centuries old.

The fisherman said he found the giant by accident when he was walking through a cave. There was something soft and slimy, the fisherman added.

According to experts, “The typical Chinese giant salamanders have a life-span of about 80 years. This one has lived the equivalent of two life spans so far and is working on its third! The giant Chinese salamanders are an endangered species”. The creature is considered endangered due to over-hunting.