An Unusual Discovery
An axolotl that was found in a river in Wales looked a lot like this one.
Axolotls are amphibians that are native to Mexico. You’re not likely to spot a wild one in a faraway country like Wales, in the United Kingdom (UK). So when 10-year-old Evie Hill saw an axolotl in a Welsh river, her mom thought she was mistaken.
“I went down to the [river] bank, and there was this thing with gills on its head,” Evie told the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). “I was like, ‘That’s an axolotl.’ I [said], ‘Mum, there’s an axolotl in the river.’”
Despite her mother’s doubts, Evie knew it was an axolotl because she had seen examples of the amphibians in YouTube videos. Axolotls once lived in bodies of water all around central Mexico. Today, wild axolotls are rare. They are found only in Lake Xochimilco, which is in Mexico City.
© katarinanh/stock.adobe.com; Photo illustration Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Evie Hill found an axolotl in Wales. That’s far from Mexico, where wild axolotls live.
Axolotls are also bred to be pets. People around the world keep them in aquariums. But they are not meant to be in the waters of Wales.
Evie caught her little discovery, which she named Dippy D, and put him into a container. She noticed that Dippy had some injuries to his body, suggesting he may have been attacked by a larger animal. Dippy spent the night with the family in their camper van. The next morning, the Hills contacted an axolotl expert, who told the family it would be okay to keep Dippy and advised them on how to care for him.
Chris Newman, the director of the National Centre for Reptile Welfare in the UK, said Evie may have saved Dippy’s life by taking him out of the river. Still, the Hills were correct to ask for advice. According to the Guardian, a news outlet in the UK, people should tell expert organizations if they discover rare or endangered animals in the wild.
