The “monster” busters faced a challenge: They had to first locate the fish in Yunchan Lake, a 30-acre artificial body of water rife with aquatic plants near the bottom. After two weeks searching in vain, the local government announced it would drain the entire lake.

As the draining neared an end Tuesday, media outlets and Chinese TikTok influencers swarmed to the site for a glimpse of the fish. A live stream by the state-run tabloid Chutian Metropolis Daily attracted more than 37 million viewers, as the hunting team set up searchlights and combed remaining puddles with fishing nets.