The Chinese salamander, often referred to as a "living fossil", has reappeared after a more than a 111-year-absence in a forest in Gaojiayan in Yichang city, Hubei province.

The Chinese salamander is a type of amphibian that evolved during the same period as the dinosaur. These creatures have survived on earth for more than 300 million years. In 1889, a foreign scientist documented the existence of this creature in Yichang, Hubei province.

The Chinese salamander is quite rare and is a protected species, referred to as a "biological living fossil". Biologists believe it is the "golden key" to evolutionary research. In 1986, the Chinese salamander was listed in the "China Red Data Book of Endangered Animals", as was the giant panda, by the Endangered Species Scientific Commission of China. (People's Daily online)