The sighting of a monstrous and weird looking salamander has taken a special interest among the locals and experts in a city in south-west China.

According to the Daily Mail, a giant salamander was spotted lurking in an isolated cave in Chongqing. The cold-blooded creature measures about 4ft 7in and weighs 114 pounds.

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Experts believe that the salamander is approximately over 200 years old. It is now being examined and has been transferred to a local research facility for further study by the wildlife experts.

Giant salamanders are the largest living species of amphibians which can extend up to 6ft in length. They are regarded to be critically endangered by the Zoological Society of London.

Over the years, the Chinese giant salamanders have been hunted and are served as 'luxury food' in China regardless of their scarcity. Additionally, they are seen as an essential source of traditional medicines.

Although giant salamanders are now one of the protected species in China, poachers are considered to be the biggest threats to the survival of these amphibians. They have been hunted continuously in large quantities

The endangered 'water monsters' feed on crustaceans and large fish and are usually found living in clear fast-flowing streams and mountain lakes.

In Chinese mythology, giant salamanders are called 'wa wa yu' or baby fish because their distress call is said to resemble the cry of a baby.

It has been long said that the salamander's skin has a component that helps in delaying the aging process among humans yet no scientific evidence has been found to prove this claim.

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TagsSouth-West China, salamander, giant salamander, Chongqing, Chongqing cave, amphibian, critically endangered, Zoological Society of London, luxury food, Chinese giant salamander as luxury food, protected species, wa wa yu, crying baby fish, Anti-aging, Giant Salamander China