Editor's note: As protection of the planet's flora, fauna and resources becomes increasingly important, China Daily is publishing a series of stories to illustrate the country's commitment to safeguarding the natural world.

Dedicated senior has kept a careful eye on the rare creatures for many decades to ensure their survival. Yan Dongjie reports.

Almost every morning, She Shizhen takes a stroll around the Hongxing Reservoir in Zhangcun village, Xuancheng, Anhui province. The 84-year-old is not strolling for fun, though: she is a volunteer who patrols the area that is home to Chinese alligators, aka the Yangtze alligator, an animal she cherishes dearly.

"One year, a villager was washing a chicken by the waterside. Suddenly, an alligator approached quietly and quickly grabbed the chicken before diving into the water. It then resurfaced in the middle of the water, proudly flipping around with the chicken in its mouth ... don't judge them by their dull appearance, they are actually quite clever," said She, who always has a smile on her face when she talks about the alligators.

In 1982, some members of her family discovered a nest of strange-looking eggs. Her husband, Zhang Xuhong, guessed that they were "Earth Dragon eggs". Like the giant panda, Chinese alligators enjoy first-class State protection, and the local people refer to them as "Earth Dragons".

Zhang took the eggs to experts for identification, and they confirmed that they were those of the Chinese alligator.

That led to the Hongxing Reservoir becoming a protected area for the animals. The experts entrusted Zhang and She, who lived about 100 meters from the water, to "protect these endangered animals", in She's words.

Chinese alligators, a rare species unique to China, are mainly distributed in southeastern Anhui, including the counties of Jingxian, Guangde, Langxi and Nanling, and Xuanzhou district in Xuancheng city.