10-Year-Old Saves Critically Endangered Axolotl in Wales

When 10-year-old Evie Hill shouted that she'd found an axolotl in a river near Bridgend, Wales, her mom thought she was imagining things. But the nature-loving youngster was about to prove her wrong in the most delightful way possible.

Evie was playing by the River Ogmore on April 10 when she lifted a discarded mat and spotted a pale, nine-inch salamander nestled in the rocks. Thanks to countless YouTube videos about exotic animals, she immediately recognized the creature's distinctive gills.

Her mom Melanie dismissed it as a newt or lizard. But Evie didn't give up.

"I ran up to my mum shouting 'I've found an axolotl, I've found an axolotl,' but she did not believe me at all," Evie told reporters. After spotting the creature again, she jumped into the water and caught it with her bare hands.

Melanie's disbelief turned to shock when Evie returned to their camper van carrying the amphibian. She quickly grabbed her sister-in-law's gravy boat to house their unexpected find, and the family cut their vacation short to mount a rescue operation.

They bought a proper tank the next day and contacted a local breeder for advice about treating injuries on the axolotl's tail and stomach. The bite marks suggest the creature, likely an abandoned pet, wouldn't have survived much longer in the wild.

Axolotls are critically endangered in their native Mexico, where only 50 to 1,000 adults remain in Mexican lakes. Habitat loss and invasive species have devastated their population over the past century. However, their popularity as pets has exploded recently thanks to video games like Minecraft and Roblox, with up to a million now living in captivity.

Chris Newman, director of the National Centre for Reptile Welfare, praised Evie's quick thinking and skill. "Predatory animals would have had it for lunch," he told the BBC. "And catching them is no mean feat. They're quite slippery, so I think she did really well."

Sunny's Take

Back home in Leicester, England, Evie has named her new companion Dippy D, combining the bridge's name with "dragon" for their Welsh adventure. She's spent hours researching proper care, and Dippy is recovering well in his new tank home.

What started as a child's excited discovery became a genuine rescue mission, showing how knowledge and quick action can make all the difference.