10-Year-Old Evie Hill Finds Rare Mexican Axolotl Under Welsh Bridge
A 10-year-old girl named Evie Hill found a rare Mexican axolotl under a bridge in Wales while on a day trip with her mother. She discovered the 9-inch endangered amphibian near the River Ogmore in Bridgend after lifting up a discarded mat.
Evie Hill was exploring the shallows of the River Ogmore in Bridgend, Wales, when she made an unusual discovery. The 10-year-old lifted up a discarded mat and found a 9-inch axolotl nestled in the rocks underneath.
Axolotls are aquatic salamanders native to Mexico. They're endangered in the wild and typically found only in lakes and canals around Mexico City. The amphibian Evie found has been nicknamed "Dippy" and was likely an escaped or abandoned pet.
Evie's mother, Melanie Hill, told the BBC that her daughter is "always finding things" like newts and bugs during their outdoor adventures. But discovering an endangered Mexican species in a Welsh river was definitely a surprise.
The axolotl discovery highlights a growing problem with exotic pets ending up in local waterways. When people release non-native animals into the wild, it can disrupt local ecosystems and often means death for the displaced creatures, who aren't adapted to survive in new environments.
Mexican axolotls are endangered animals that normally live only in Mexico's lakes and canals. Finding one in a Welsh river shows how exotic pets sometimes end up in the wild, which can harm local ecosystems and the animals themselves.
Wildlife experts will likely relocate the axolotl to a proper facility where it can receive appropriate care.
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