Mexico, a land full of mystery and beauty, is home to countless rare creatures. On January 21, 2023, the Salamander Conservation Center at Chapultepec Zoo in Mexico officially opened its doors to celebrate the zoo's 100th anniversary. In its first year, the conservation center, which is dedicated to promoting and breeding amphibians such as the Mexican salamander, attracted about 500,000 visitors. Today, let's walk into this land of hope for the protection of endangered species.
The Mexican newt, also known as the "hexagonal dinosaur", is an aquatic amphibian endemic to Mexico. They have a unique appearance, with a rounded, triangular body, smooth and sticky. The most striking thing is the six horns on the top of their heads, which resemble mythical creatures. However, this amazing creature is facing an existential crisis. Due to the impact of water pollution, the number of wild newts in the world is less than 1,000, and it is listed as a critically endangered species.
The Mexican Newt Conservation Center was established to save this endangered species. The center has state-of-the-art facilities and technology to provide a biomimetic environment for the Mexican newt, ensuring that they can grow and thrive in a suitable environment. At the same time, the conservation center also actively carries out scientific research to deepen the knowledge of the ecological habits, reproductive characteristics and living environment of the newt.
In order to better disseminate and popularize the conservation knowledge of the Mexican newt, the conservation center also organizes various events and exhibitions on a regular basis. By showing the living environment and growth process of the newt, visitors can understand the preciousness of this endangered species and raise public awareness of environmental protection. In addition, the Conservation Center works with local schools to develop educational programs that allow students to experience and understand the importance of biodiversity first-hand.
It is worth mentioning that the Mexican newt has a strong ability to regenerate organs, which makes them extremely valuable in the field of scientific experiments and medical research. Researchers at the Conservation Center are working to explore the regeneration mechanism of the newt, in order to provide new ideas and directions for the development of human medicine and biology.
Photographer: Daniel Cardenas
However, protecting the Mexican newt is not an easy task. In addition to external threats such as environmental pollution and habitat loss, they also face the problem of genetic diversity within their populations. Therefore, while working to protect existing populations, the Conservation Center is also actively engaged in research on technologies such as artificial reproduction and gene editing, with a view to increasing the genetic diversity within populations and improving their ability to adapt to the environment and respond to threats.
Today, the Mexican Conservation Center for Newts is a global banner in the field of biodiversity and environmental protection. It not only provides hope and strength for the rescue of this endangered species, but also provides valuable experience and inspiration for the conservation of other endangered species around the world. We believe that with the concerted efforts of the whole society, the Mexican newt and other endangered species will be able to usher in a better tomorrow.