An elderly villager in Zhejiang Province heard what he thought was a baby crying near a river.

Turns out it was one ugly baby.

Baisui village in Tonglu county has lit up over the rare discovery of a Chinese giant salamander, the largest amphibian species on earth that has seen dwindling numbers in recent years.

Local game and fish officials were notified on August 2 after villagers captured the 70-centimeter salamander weighing 2.5 kilograms, the Qianjiang Evening News reported.

The animal, also colloquially named "baby fish" in Chinese, is known for making a wailing sound that is strikingly similar to a child crying.

That explains why 70-year-old Zhu Jianrong was confused when he first heard its call on July 29.

"It sounded like a months-old baby awakening from a dream," said Zhu, who explained he had first thought it may be the cry of an abandoned child.

Over the next few nights, more villagers reported hearing the same crying sounds near the river.

Fishery experts identified the find as a rare Andrias davidianus, a species considered critically endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.

"It is very rare to see a giant salamander in the wild," a fishery officer told the paper. Its exact numbers are unknown.

To the satisfaction of all, the salamander was later released.

Well, perhaps not all.

"If it was a girl, I'd have liked to adopt her as my granddaughter," said Zhu.

Qianjiang Evening News