the total population 136–173. Wang Renping, the head of the ANNRCA, stated in 2017 that about 300 specimens existed in the wild, some of which had been born captive and reintroduced to the wild. As of 2018 the population is not considered to be further declining. Reasons for population decline Considered to be one of the most endangered crocodilians in the world, the Chinese alligator's biggest threats in the late 20th century were human killing and habitat loss. A majority of the species' wetland habitats were destroyed to construct rice paddies and dams. During the 1970s and 1980s, humans sometimes killed the alligators, because they believed they were pests, out of fear, or for their meat. Their meat was thought to have the ability to cure colds and prevent cancer and their organs were sold for medicinal purposes. In several restaurants and food centers in China's more prosperous areas, young alligators were allowed to roam free with their mouths taped shut, and were subsequently killed for human consumption, served as a dish of rice, vegetables, and chopped up alligator flesh. In the late 20th century, people living in the range of the Chinese alligator ate its meat due to believing that it was dragon meat. The Yangtze was flooded in the winter of 1957, which is believed to have caused many Chinese alligators to drown. Rats, which this species eat, have been poisoned by farmers, so were also a cause for the diminishing of the species. The organochlorine compound sodium pentachlorophenate was used to kill snails in agricultural fields starting in 1958, which incidentally poisoned the alligators as well. Other factors that led to the endangerment of the alligator include natural disasters and geographic separation. Status and conservation In its native country, the Chinese alligator has been listed as a Class I endangered species since 1972, which gives it the highest possible degree of legal protection and makes killing or capturing the species in the wild forbidden. It is listed as a CITES Appendix I species and an endangered species by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Following six assessments as endangered from 1982 to 1994, it is classified as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List as of 2017. In 1982, the Anhui National Nature Reserve for Chinese Alligator (ANNRCA) was created, a reserve spanning across the entire range of the Chinese alligator, now covering an area of .