Adored . . . and in Danger

Who doesn’t love an axolotl (AK-suh-lah-tl)? Their sweet faces and frilly gills have made these adorable animals popular pets and social media stars. And lately, they seem to be everywhere. 

On YouTube, axolotl videos have millions of views. In the video game Minecraft, cartoon axolotls battle underwater enemies. At Build-A-Bear stores, kids can dress plush axolotl toys in sparkling outfits. 

But the axolotl is more than just the latest animal superstar. For centuries, the amphibian has been an important part of Mexican culture. The ancient Aztec—an Indigenous people of central Mexico—believed the creatures were magical. It’s easy to understand why. Axolotls can regrow many parts of their bodies, including pieces of their hearts.

“Axolotls are an icon for Mexican people,” says Diana Laura Vázquez Mendoza, a scientist with the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). 

Stroll through Mexico City today, and you’ll see colorful axolotls painted on buildings. At parades, giant handmade axolotls are driven through city streets, cheered on by fans. When Mexico City was choosing an official emoji, the axolotl was the clear choice.

Who doesn’t love an axolotl (AK-suh-lah-tl)? They have sweet faces and frilly gills. It’s no surprise these adorable animals are popular pets and social media stars. And lately, they seem to be everywhere. 

Axolotl videos have millions of views on YouTube. Cartoon axolotls fight enemies in the video game Minecraft. Kids can dress axolotl toys in fancy outfits at Build-A-Bear stores. 

But the axolotl is more than just the latest animal superstar. For centuries, this amphibian has been an important part of Mexican culture. The ancient Aztec are an Indigenous people of central Mexico. They believed axolotls were magical. It’s easy to understand why. Axolotls can regrow many parts of their bodies, including pieces of their hearts.

“Axolotls are an icon for Mexican people,” says Diana Laura Vázquez Mendoza. Mendoza is a scientist with the National Autonomous University of Mexico.

Stroll through Mexico City today. You’ll see colorful axolotls painted on buildings. Giant handmade axolotls are featured in parades and cheered on by fans. When Mexico City was choosing an official emoji? The axolotl was the clear choice.

But there is a sad twist to the story of this ancient and beloved creature. For hundreds of years, axolotls thrived in the lakes and canals near what was once the capital of the Aztec Empire.

That area is now Mexico City, home to 22 million people. As the city has grown, the lakes have been drained to make room for buildings, roads, and houses. The canals became polluted, poisoning the animals.

Today the only natural home axolotls have is in Lake Xochimilco (soh-chee-MEEL-koh) and its polluted canals. What’s worse, big fish that now live in the lake are gobbling up
the creatures.

For years, it was known that wild axolotls were in trouble. It wasn’t until the early 2000s, however, that it became clear just how much trouble. That’s when the Mexican government asked UNAM scientist Luis Zambrano to find out how many axolotls were left in Lake Xochimilco. Zambrano knew that the numbers were likely to be low. After his study, he discovered they were disastrous.

“The population was going down really fast,” he says.

Zambrano knew he had to act.

But there is a sad twist to the story of this beloved creature. For hundreds of years, axolotls did well in the lakes and canals near what was once the capital of the Aztec Empire. That area is now Mexico City, home to 22 million people. As the city has grown, the lakes have been drained. This was done to make room for buildings, roads, and houses. And the canals became polluted, poisoning the animals.

Today the only natural home axolotls have is in Lake Xochimilco (soh-chee-MEEL-koh) and its dirty canals. What’s worse, big fish
that now live in the lake are eating the creatures.

For years, it was known that wild axolotls were in trouble. In the early 2000s, it became clear just how much trouble. That’s when the Mexican government asked scientist Luis Zambrano to find out how many axolotls were left in Lake Xochimilco. Zambrano knew that the numbers were likely to be low. After his study, he discovered they were terrible.

“The population was going down really fast,” he says.

Zambrano knew he had to act.

Today wild axolotls are at serious risk of going extinct, or disappearing forever. Nobody knows exactly how many are left. Experts think the number is between 50 and 1,000. 

But there are more than a million axolotls living as pets in homes around the world or in labs, where scientists study them. 

Could these axolotls simply be let loose in Lake Xochimilco? 

Unfortunately, no. 

Axolotls can’t survive the hungry fish and the poisons lurking in the lake. In order to save the axolotl, scientists would need to save its natural habitat.

So Zambrano developed a bold plan: to protect areas of Lake Xochimilco and return them to the way they were centuries ago, when Mexico was the land of the Aztec. 

Today wild axolotls are at great risk of going extinct, or disappearing forever. Nobody knows exactly how many are left. Experts think the number is between 50 and 1,000. 

But there are more than a million other axolotls around the world. They live as pets in homes or in labs, where scientists study them. 

Could those axolotls simply be let loose in Lake Xochimilco?

Sadly, no.

Axolotls can’t survive the hungry fish and the poisons in the lake. To save the axolotl, scientists would need to save its natural habitat.

So Zambrano came up with a bold plan. He would work to protect areas of Lake Xochimilco. He would return them to the way they were centuries ago. That’s when Mexico was the land of the Aztec.

The Aztec ruled over central Mexico from about 1300 until 1521. Back then, thousands of square miles were covered with lakes and swamps. The capital of the Aztec Empire was built on an island in the middle of the largest lake.

In the mid-1400s, the city was one of the most exciting in the world. 

It was bigger than London and richer than Paris, with sparkling palaces and soaring pyramids.

But there was little land for growing food on this island city. So the Aztec came up with a clever solution. They built a system of large floating gardens in lake waters around the center of the city. The floating gardens were made out of mud, logs, rotting leaves, and woven plants. Each was about the size of a basketball court. Rows of them spread out for miles. 

The system of floating gardens allowed the Aztec to farm many different foods. And the waters around the gardens were filled with creatures. There were small fish, frogs, and a large amphibian that seemed magical: the axolotl. 

For hundreds of years, the axolotl thrived alongside the Aztec. But in 1519, the world of central Mexico suddenly changed, and the axolotl found itself facing a terrible threat. 

The Aztec ruled over central Mexico from about 1300 until 1521. Back then, thousands of square miles were covered with lakes and swamps. The capital of the Aztec Empire was built on an island in the middle of the largest lake.

In the mid-1400s, the city was one of the most exciting in the world. It was bigger than London and richer than Paris. There were sparkling palaces and soaring pyramids.

But there was little land for growing food on this island city. So the Aztec came up with a clever solution. They built a system of large floating gardens in lake waters around the center of the city. The floating gardens were made out of mud, logs, leaves, and plants. Each was about the size of a basketball court. Rows of them spread out for miles.

The system of floating gardens allowed the Aztec to farm many different foods. And the waters around the gardens were filled with creatures. There were small fish, frogs, and a large amphibian that seemed magical: the axolotl.

For hundreds of years, the axolotl thrived alongside the Aztec. But in 1519, the world of central Mexico suddenly changed. And the axolotl now faced a terrible threat.

In 1519, Spanish invaders arrived in central Mexico. Their troops joined many thousands of Indigenous warriors who were enemies of the Aztec. Within a couple of years, the Spanish had taken over the Aztec capital. Destroyed by war, the great city fell into ruin. 

Spanish rule ended in 1821, when Mexico became an independent country. Today many Mexicans celebrate their Aztec ancestors. But in Mexico City, only a few crumbling pieces of the great Aztec Empire remain. And like the sparkling palaces and soaring pyramids, the floating gardens have slowly disappeared. 

Most of them have been abandoned. And some that remain in use are farmed using chemicals, which pollute the water. 

Zambrano is trying to change this. He and his team are helping local farmers return to the natural farming methods of the Aztec. This, he believes, is the key to bringing back wild axolotls. 

In 1519, Spanish invaders came to central Mexico. Their troops joined many thousands of Indigenous warriors who were enemies of the Aztec. Within a couple of years, the Spanish had taken over the Aztec capital. The great city was destroyed by war. It fell into ruin.

Spanish rule ended in 1821. At that time, Mexico became an independent country. Today many Mexicans celebrate their Aztec ancestors. But in Mexico City, only a few pieces of the great Aztec Empire remain. And like the palaces and pyramids, the floating gardens have slowly disappeared. 

Most of them have been abandoned. And some that remain in use are farmed using chemicals that pollute the water.

Zambrano is trying to change this. He and his team are helping local farmers return to the natural farming methods of the Aztec. This, he believes, is the key to bringing back wild axolotls.

So far, 30 farmers have joined Zambrano’s effort. These farmers are growing crops on the floating gardens without using chemicals. They’re also planting grasses and plants that naturally clean the water. Fences have been installed around the floating gardens to keep the axolotls safe from hungry fish.

Zambrano’s hope is that these cleaner, more protected areas around the floating gardens can provide small areas of safety within the dangerous waters of Lake Xochimilco. 

In 2023, Zambrano’s team put the idea to the test. They released 12 axolotls into one of the protected areas. Months later, all but one were still thriving. 

Today the program continues to grow. Zambrano is hopeful, though he knows it will be a slow process. Bringing the wild axolotl back is not like playing a quick game of Minecraft. It will take time. 

But if the effort is successful, everyone will win: the axolotl, the farmers and people of Mexico, and all of us who love one of the world’s most unique creatures. 

So far, 30 farmers have joined Zambrano’s effort. These farmers are growing crops on the floating gardens. And they’re doing it without using chemicals. They’re also planting grasses and plants that naturally clean the water. New fences around these floating gardens keep the axolotls safe from hungry fish.

Zambrano hopes that these cleaner, more protected areas around the floating gardens will help. The idea is that the axolotl can live in small areas of safety within the dangerous waters of Lake Xochimilco.

In 2023, Zambrano’s team tried out his idea. They put 12 axolotls into one of the protected areas. Months later, all but one were thriving.

Today the program continues to grow. Zambrano is hopeful. He knows it will be a slow process though. Bringing the wild axolotl back is not like playing a quick game of Minecraft. It will take time.

But if the effort is successful, everyone will win: the axolotl, the farmers, and the people of Mexico. And all of us who love one of the world’s most unique creatures.

Last year, students at Lancaster School in Mexico City, Mexico, got a pet: an axolotl named Kafka. Like other axolotls, he has a smiley face, silky skin, and feathery gills.  

But there’s something unusual about Kafka. 

His home is not a tank in a science classroom. In fact, it’s a lake about 5 miles from the school, called Lake Xochimilco. Kafka was adopted virtually. That means students got to choose his name and received a special ID card with Kafka’s photo. 

Why adopt an animal that you can’t play with—or even see in person? “By virtually adopting, we’re able to help axolotls without taking them out of their own environment,” explains Andrea Plancarte, an 18-year-old student at Lancaster School. 

Last year, students at Lancaster School in Mexico City, Mexico, got a pet: an axolotl. They named him Kafka. Like other axolotls, he has a smiley face, silky skin, and feathery gills.

But there’s something unusual about Kafka.

His home is not a tank in a science classroom. It’s a lake about 5 miles from the school, called Lake Xochimilco. Kafka was adopted virtually. That means students got to choose his name. They also received a special ID card with Kafka’s photo.

Why adopt an animal that you can’t play with? Or even see in person? “By virtually adopting, we’re able to help axolotls without taking them out of their own environment,” explains Andrea Plancarte. Andrea is an 18-year-old student at Lancaster School.

Axolotls like Kafka aren’t the only wild animals lucky enough to receive virtual guardians. All kinds of creatures around the world can be adopted from a distance. For example, fifth-graders in New York recently adopted a gorilla and an elephant that live in Africa. And students at an elementary school in West Virginia adopted a sea turtle in the Atlantic Ocean named Coco.

To virtually adopt these animals, students had to raise money. The organizations that run the programs then use the money to protect the animals in their natural homes.

The students at Lancaster School raised money for Kafka by selling colorful axolotl stickers and holding bake sales. Then they donated their earnings to a program called AdoptAxolotl. The project is run by scientist Luis Zambrano, who is working to save the axolotls’ habitat in Mexico City. 

Andrea and her classmates are now planning to virtually adopt a second axolotl that lives in the same lake as Kafka. “Virtual adoptions are a really great way to help from your home or your school,” Andrea says. 

Axolotls like Kafka aren’t the only wild animals with virtual guardians. All kinds of creatures around the world can be adopted from a distance. For example, fifth-graders in New York recently adopted a gorilla and an elephant that live in Africa. And students at an elementary school in West Virginia adopted a sea turtle in the Atlantic Ocean. Her name is Coco.

To virtually adopt these animals, students had to raise money. The organizations that run the programs then use the money to protect the animals in their natural homes.

The Lancaster students sold axolotl stickers and had bake sales to bring in money. Then they donated their earnings to a program called AdoptAxolotl. The project is run by scientist Luis Zambrano, who is working to save the axolotls’ habitat in Mexico City.

Andrea and her classmates are planning to adopt a second axolotl from the same lake as Kafka. “Virtual adoptions are a really great way to help from your home or your school,” Andrea says.