'Adoptaxolotl' Campaign Relaunched to Save Critically Endangered Amphibian

Virtual adoption program aims to restore axolotl habitat in Mexico City, as population faces near-extinction due to environmental threats.

Mexico's National Autonomous University has relaunched the 'Adoptaxolotl' campaign, allowing people to virtually adopt an axolotl, a critically endangered amphibian native to Mexico.
The campaign aims to raise funds for the conservation of axolotls, including restoring their habitat in the ancient Aztec canals in Xochimilco, a southern borough of Mexico City.
A virtual adoption costs $30 for one month, $180 for six months, or $360 for a full year, with donors able to select the age, sex, and name of their adopted axolotl.
The axolotl population has plummeted 99.5 percent in less than two years, with almost all 18 Mexican axolotl species considered critically endangered due to threats including water pollution, a deadly fungus, and non-native rainbow trout.
Axolotls are unique in their ability to regenerate limbs and other body parts, making them a subject of interest for scientific research in areas such as tissue repair and cancer treatment.