Contrary to the report, they are actually not difficult to keep as pets - they are just highly sensitive to pollutants in the water.
The unfortunate case for the wild population, is that they naturally inhabit a location which today has one of the highest human population densities in the world, and hence massive pressure on water resources. We could probably quite easily re-establish a breeding population in remote areas in Europe but would constitute an invasive species and hence wouldn't happen.
As a species, they are not endangered due to their very large populations now in the pet trade (though these then get inbred, become domesticated etc).
Axolotls have also been used for over 200 years for medical research related to regenerative biology. They’re unique among vertebrates in that they can regenerate nearly every part of their body, even parts of their brain. https://orip.nih.gov/about-orip/research-highlights/amazing-...
I think it likely speaks to how much more common they are as exotic pets than they have been in the past. That she found it before it died is surprising, and the longer I think about this story the longer I wonder if they just bought it as a pet and the river discovery was a gag for online clout.
Not so strange. I bought a puppet animal that seemed generic enough - the only animal type available at the magic store, and my girlfriend's boys declared "It's a coati!" She thought that they must have seen a fake animal on TV named that, but low and behold, google proved they were correct. It appeared to be a coati puppet.
‘It Had Teeth’: A 3-Year-Old Discovers Ancient Treasure in Israel
While on a hike with her family, a child stumbled across a 3,800-year-old Egyptian amulet. It will go on display in an upcoming exhibition.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/03/world/middleeast/child-an...
> "This is a quite a unique situation, and I think the young female has a keen eye to actually spot it," [Chris Newman, director of the National Centre for Reptile Welfare, said]
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[ 6.7 ms ] story [ 57.8 ms ] threadThe unfortunate case for the wild population, is that they naturally inhabit a location which today has one of the highest human population densities in the world, and hence massive pressure on water resources. We could probably quite easily re-establish a breeding population in remote areas in Europe but would constitute an invasive species and hence wouldn't happen.
As a species, they are not endangered due to their very large populations now in the pet trade (though these then get inbred, become domesticated etc).
Especially with 8 billion humans wandering around.
But I do wonder how many do live in Wales. If it’s not just an abandoned pet that would be really interesting.
Mexican axolotl, 10, finds rare Girl under Welsh bridge.
This is a really strange side comment, lol. I guess the mom doesn’t believe in some animals?
Middle schooler finds coin from Troy in Berlin https://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/75848
‘It Had Teeth’: A 3-Year-Old Discovers Ancient Treasure in Israel While on a hike with her family, a child stumbled across a 3,800-year-old Egyptian amulet. It will go on display in an upcoming exhibition. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/03/world/middleeast/child-an...
Sarah Huckabee Sanders' kids scream with excitement after finding 2,000-year-old coins in West Bank cave https://www.foxnews.com/travel/sarah-huckabee-sanders-kids-s...
What an odd thing to say.