Overview
- Evie Hill, who found the nine-inch amphibian on April 10 under a mat in the River Ogmore in Bridgend, pulled the injured animal to shore and named it Dippy.
- After seeking specialist advice, her family cut their Wales holiday short and drove it home to Leicester, where they were told they could keep it and are setting up a larger tank.
- The National Centre for Reptile Welfare said the find suggests an owner dumped the animal, and reminded the public that releasing non-native species in the UK is illegal.
- Experts describe this as the first documented sighting of an axolotl living loose in the UK, noting the species is critically endangered in the wild with roughly 50 to 1,000 left.
- Axolotls come from canals near Mexico City, keep their frilly gills for life, and can regrow body parts, yet the RSPCA says a boom in pets driven by games like Minecraft has led many owners to underestimate the care they need.