A park ranger in south China has caught an enormous Chinese salamander that is the world 's largest living amphibian and is known as the 'Living Fossil ' because it has remained unchanged for 170million years . The man , named only as Mr Xiao , was shocked to find the rare giant salamander swimming in the water and later released it back into the wild , reported the People 's Daily Online . Although it is one of the world 's oldest species – dating back more than 170 million years – there are few surviving populations of giant salamander left in the wild . Its appearance has barely changed since the Jurassic period . Scroll down for video . Giant : The salamander found by Mr Xiao measured 83cm in length and weighed in at 5.5kg . Shock : Park ranger Mr Xiao could not believe his eyes when he saw the rare creature swimming in the river . The giant salamander , which measured 83cm in length and weighed 5.5kg , was found in Heyuan City in southern China 's Guangdong Province . After keeping it in a temporary tank , Mr Xiao released the creature back into the river , watched by a crowd of fascinated tourists . The giant salamander is listed as 'critically endangered ' on the International Union for Conservation of Nature ( IUCN ) Red List and a protected species in China . Prize catch : Mr Xiao shows off his discovery , the first of its kind to be found in the area . Fine specimen : The Chinese giant salamander is the world ’ s largest living amphibian and has been known to grow up to 1.8m long . Despite its status as an endangered species , it is still regarded a delicacy among China 's super rich . The salamander population has declined drastically over the last 30 years due to poaching and destruction of its habitat . Earlier this year Chinese officials were investigated for reportedly eating a giant salamander at a luxury banquet in Shenzhen . A recent government crackdown means that anyone found to be eating endangered species could receive a jail sentence of up to ten years . Attention : A young boy enjoys his moment with the rare amphibian before it is returned to the wild . 30 years ago the giant salamander was relatively common . It is believed by some that the salamander has anti-ageing benefits , although there is no scientific evidence to support this . The giant salamander holds a treasured place in Chinese mythology and is called 'wa wa yu ' - or 'baby fish ' - in Chinese because its distress call sounds like the cry of a baby . In the past the amphibian could grow to more than 1.8 metres in length and over 50 kilograms in weight , but due to wild harvesting most salamanders today are much smaller .
Ranger was shocked to see the giant salamander while picking winkles . The ancient amphibian measured 83cm in length and weighed 5.5kg . The animal is critically endangered on the Red List of threatened species . Known as a 'living fossil ' , it has barely changed since the Jurassic period . In Guangdong Province it is known as 'wa wa yu ' - or 'baby fish ' - because its distress call sounds like the cry of a baby .