Efforts to rescue 566 giant lizards in southern China's Hainan Province have been pronounced a failureby the provincial rescue and breeding center for wild animals in severe danger as the number has declined to 37 over the past threeyears.

On July 25, 2001, a total of 566 state-protected giant lizards along with 259 boas were saved when a smuggling case was cracked by border-guard forces of the province.

The wild animals were then sent to the center for rescue.

As of May 21, 2003, the number of the lizards declined to 95, including 48 adults and 47 young ones, said Cai Zhengbiao, who is in charge of the lizard rescue in the center.

He said long distance traffic and parasites existing in the animal's livers and spleens might be the main reasons for the death of the lizards.

Meanwhile, in-house stealing could be another cause leading to reduction of the lizards and boas, he said.

Wang Chunxiao, director of the center, now is even considering to free the remaining lizards since failure of the rescue job has been declared.

Source: Xinhua