(Axolotl&ReptileRescueCentre via SWNS)
Thousands of axolotls are being bought as pets before being dumped after their popularity exploded due to games like Minecraft , Roblox and Fortnite, it has been warned.
×
Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.
kAm#6D4F6 46?E6CD D2J E96J 2C6 D66:?8 2 H@CCJ:?8 DFC86 :? D2=2>2?56CD 36:?8 D@=5 3J F?D4CFAF=@FD 3C6656CD @? D@4:2= >65:2 D:E6D DF49 2D u2463@@< 367@C6 E96 4C62EFC6D 6?5 FA 36:?8 ?68=64E65]k^Am
kAm%96J 42? 36 D@=5 7@C 2D =:EE=6 2D Sbg 2?5 E96 3@@> :? E96:C A@AF=2C:EJ :D 36:?8 3=2>65 @? E96 6I@E:4 2>A9:3:2?D 36:?8 762EFC65 :? D6G6C2= 4@>AFE6C 82>6D]k^Am
kAmp D:>:=2C 4C2K6 D2H 2 9F86 C:D6 :? E6CC2A:?D 36:?8 3@F89E 2D A6ED 27E6C E96 C6=62D6 @7 E96 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^E2=<6C]?6HD^a_ab^_g^`_^E@J\D9@AD\AC65:4E\H92E\H:==\E@A\E9:D\J62CD\9@=:52J\=:DED\2?5\:ED\?@E\32C3:6^Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q C6=lQ?@C676CC6C ?@@A6?6CQm%66?286 |FE2?E }:?;2 %FCE=6Dk^2m 7:=>D]k^Am
kAm%2C2 r@DE6==@H[ H9@ CF?D E96 pI@=@E= 2?5 #6AE:=6 #6D4F6 r6?EC6[ C64<@?D D96 92D E2<6? :? 2C@F?5 a[___ 2I@=@E=D D:?46 D6EE:?8 FA 3FD:?6DD 6:89E J62CD 28@]k^Am
kAm$96 4FCC6?E=J 92D 2C@F?5 `e_ @7 E96> 2E 96C EH@ D:E6D :? tG6D92>[ (@C46DE6CD9:C6[ 27E6C 36:?8 3@>32C565 H:E9 A=62D 7C@> @H?6CD 56DA6C2E6 E@ @77=@25 E96 2?:>2=D E96J 42??@E 4@A6 H:E9]k^Am
kAm%96 #$!rp 92D 2=D@ :DDF65 2 H2C?:?8 27E6C =2DE J62C D2H E96 D64@?5\=2C86DE ?F>36C @7 :?4:56?ED :?G@=G:?8 2I@=@E=D 2?5 2 hT C:D6 :? E96 ?F>36C @7 6I@E:4 2?:>2=D 36:?8 232?5@?65]k^Am
(Axolotl&ReptileRescueCentre via SWNS)
By Talker
kAmr@DE6==@H[ H9@ CF?D E96 492C:EJ H:E9 96C 9FD32?5 v2C6E9[ D2:5i Q(6 7:CDE DE2CE65 D66:?8 2 DFC86 5F6 E@ E96 A@AF=2C:EJ @7 |:?64C27E]k^Am
kAmQqFE >@C6 C646?E=J H6VC6 962C:?8 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^E2=<6C]?6HD^a_ab^_b^ab^525\D2G6D\52J\3J\4@>A=6E:?8\52F89E6CD\7@CE?:E6\492==6?86\27E6C\D96\76==\:==^Qmu@CE?:E6k^2m 2?5 #@3=@I 4@F=5 2=D@ 36 369:?5 :E 2?5 H6VC6 4@?DE2?E=J 86EE:?8 E96> ?@H]k^Am
kAmQ~G6C E96 DA246 @7 E96 6:89E J62CD H6VG6 366? CF??:?8[ H6 >FDE 92G6 925 2 4@FA=6 @7 E9@FD2?5 3C@F89E :?E@ FD]k^Am
kAmQz:5D 92G6 366? H2?E:?8 E96> 2D A6ED 3FE 2I@=@E=D 5@?VE 24EF2==J 5@ E92E >F49 D@ E96J 6?5 FA 86EE:?8 3@C65]k^Am
kAmQ%96 C6DA@?D:3:=:EJ E96? 8@6D E@ E96 A2C6?ED 2?5 2 =@E @7 E96> 5@?VE <?@H 9@H E@ 42C6 7@C E96D6 DA64:2=:DE 2?:>2=D]k^Am
kAmQ!6@A=6 5@?VE C62=:K6 9@H BF:4<=J E96J 3C665 2?5 E96:C ?F>36CD — 2 76>2=6 2I@=@E= 42? =2J `[d__ 688D 2E 2 E:>6]k^Am
kAmQ*@F 42? AFE E96> E@86E96C 2?5 cg 9@FCD =2E6C E96J 2C6 AC68?2?E] $@ A6@A=6 ;FDE D66 :E 2D 2 >@?6J >2<6C]k^Am
kAmQq24<\DEC66E 3C6656CD 2C6 ;FDE =@@<:?8 E@ 42D9 :? 2?5 6G6? A@DE E96> :? E96 >2:=[ H9:49 J@F 2C6?VE DFAA@D65 E@ 5@]k^Am
kAmQ%96J ;FDE D6== E96> @? u2463@@< 2?5 E96J 8@ 7@C 2C@F?5 Sbg E@ 2D >F49 2D S`gg]k^Am
kAmQ%96J 42? =:G6 7@C 2C@F?5 `d J62CD E@@[ D@ =@?86C E92? D@>6 5@8D[ 2?5 E96J 42? 8C@H `a :?496D]Qk^Am
kAmr@DE6==@H D2JD H:E9@FE AC@A6C C68F=2E:@? D96 762CD E96 AC@3=6> H:== ;FDE 86E H@CD6 7@C E96 DA64:6D[ H9:49 :D 4=2DD65 2D 4C:E:42==J 6?52?86C65 :? E96 H:=5]k^Am
kAmyFDE EH@ H66<D 28@ `_\J62C\@=5 tG:6 w:==[ 7C@> {6:46DE6C[ 7@F?5 2 |6I:42? 2I@=@E= F?56C 2 3C:586 ?62C qC:586?5[ $@FE9 (2=6D]k^Am
(Axolotl&ReptileRescueCentre via SWNS)
By Talker
kAm%96J 2C6 FDF2==J @?=J 7@F?5 :? {2<6 )@49:>:=4@ ?62C |6I:4@ r:EJ]k^Am
kAmr@DE6==@H 25565i Q%92E H@F=5 92G6 366? 2 5F>A65 A6E 2?5 :E :D 2>2K:?8 :E DFCG:G65 2D E96J H@F=5?VE =2DE =@?8 :? @FC H2E6CD]k^Am
kAmQ%96J 2C6?VE 4@G6C65 3J E96 s2?86C@FD (:=5 p?:>2=D p4E =:<6 D@>6 D?2<6D 2?5 =:K2C5D[ D@ E96C6VD ?@3@5J C62==J C68F=2E:?8 E96:C EC256]k^Am
kAmQ%96J 2C6 :?4C65:3=6 2?:>2=D 2?5 42? C6A2:C 2?5 C6;FG6?2E6 2?JE9:?8 7C@> E96:C DA:?6D E@ E96:C 3C2:?D[ D@ E96J 2C6 36:?8 D@=5 H:E9 >:DD:?8 =68D 2?5 3FJ6CD 2C6 ;FDE E@=5 V5@?VE H@CCJ E96J H:== 8C@H 324<]Vk^Am
kAmQqFE E96J C6BF:C6 DA64:2= 42C6 — E96 D6EFA 7@C E96 E2?< E2<6D 2C@F?5 E9C66 >@?E9D 7@C E96 ?:EC@86? 4J4=6 E@ @44FC 2?5 =:BF:5 H2E6C E6DE:?8 :D C6BF:C65 E@ 6?DFC6 2>>@?:2 2?5 ?:EC:E6 =6G6=D 2C6 C:89E]k^Am
kAmQx H@F=5 FC86 A6@A=6 E@ C6D62C49 E96:C 42C6 3FE 2=D@ E@ 3FJ 7C@> C6AFE23=6 3C6656CD 2D E96C6 2C6 >2?J 3C6656CD @FE E96C6 H9@ 2C6 ;FDE ECJ:?8 E@ >2<6 2 BF:4< 3F4<]k^Am
kAmQ%96 >2;@C:EJ @7 A6@A=6 H9@ 4@>6 E@ FD 2C6 A6E @H?6CD H9@ 5:5?VE 2AAC64:2E6 H92E E96J H6C6 86EE:?8 :?E@ 2D H6== 2D 3C6656CD H9@ ;FDE 92G6 E@@ >2?J 323:6D 2E @?6 E:>6]k^Am
kAmQ(6VG6 8@E 2C@F?5 `e_ 2E E96 >@>6?E 3FE 92G6 925 2D >2?J 2D bd_ 5C@AA65 @77 :? @?6 8@]k^Am
kAmQ(6 92G6 EH@ D:E6D[ @FC >2:? D9@A 2?5 2? 65F42E:@? 46?E6C[ D@ H6 92G6 E96 C@@> 3FE >@DE A6@A=6 5@?VE]k^Am
kAmQ%96C6 2C6 @?=J 2 92?57F= @7 A=246D 24C@DD E96 &z H9@ DA64:2=:K6 :? 2I@=@E=D =:<6 H6 5@]k^Am
kAmQxV> A2CE @7 2 u2463@@< 8C@FA 2?5 2== @7 E96> 2C6 C6A@CE:?8 E96 D2>6] %96 :DDF6 :D 86EE:?8 @FE @7 4@?EC@=]Qk^Am
(Axolotl&ReptileRescueCentre via SWNS)
By Talker
kAm#$!rp 6I@E:4 A6ED 6IA6CE tG:6 qFEE@? D2:5i “(6 FC86 2?J@?6 4@?D:56C:?8 2? 2I@=@E= — @C 2?J 6I@E:4 A6E — E@ C62==J E9:?< 42C67F==J 367@C6 E2<:?8 @?6 @?[ 2?5 E@ E9@C@F89=J C6D62C49 E96 2?:>2=D’ ?665D]k^Am
kAm“{@@<:?8 27E6C 6I@E:4 A6ED 42? 36 C6H2C5:?8 — 3FE 42? 2=D@ 36 G6CJ 492==6?8:?8[ 4@DE=J 2?5 4@>A=6I]k^Am
kAmQ%96J 92G6 E96 D2>6 6?G:C@?>6?E2=[ 5:6E 2?5 3692G:@C2= C6BF:C6>6?ED 2D E96:C C6=2E:G6D :? E96 H:=5]k^Am
kAmQtI@E:4 A6ED @7E6? 6?5 FA :? @FC 42C6[ @C @E96CD :? E96 2?:>2= H6=72C6 D64E@C[ =2E6C 5@H? E96 =:?6 H96? A6@A=6 C62=:K6 E96JVC6 ?@E 62DJ E@ 42C6 7@C[ @C @?46 E96 ?@G6=EJ H62CD @77]k^Am
kAm“tI@E:4 A6ED D9@F=5 ?6G6C 36 2? :>AF=D6 3FJ — E96D6 2>A9:3:2?D ?665 42C6 2?5 2EE6?E:@? 7@C E96:C 6?E:C6 =:G6D[ H9:49 42? 36 `d J62CD]k^Am
kA :5lQA\C40c65h6a3h_5cg73c6\aeQmQ!@E6?E:2= @H?6CD ?665 E@ >2<6 DFC6 E96J 42? 8:G6 E96:C 2?:>2= E96 6?G:C@?>6?E :E ?665D 2?5 E92E E96J 92G6 E96 724:=:E:6D[ E:>6[ 7:?2?4:2= >62?D 2?5 =@?8\E6C> 4@>>:E>6?E E@ >2:?E2:? 2 8@@5 DE2?52C5 @7 42C6]k^Am
kAm“%9@D6 H9@ 2C6 H:==:?8 2?5 23=6 E@ E2<6 @? 2? 6I@E:4 A6E D9@F=5 2=H2JD 4@?D:56C C69@>:?8 7C@> 2 DA64:2=:DE C6D4F6 46?E6C]k^Am
kA :5lQA\C40c65h6a3h_5cg73c6\afQmQ(6 6?4@FC286 2?J@?6 4@?D:56C:?8 E2<:?8 @? 2? 6I@E:4 A6E E@ C625 3@@<D HC:EE6? 3J 6IA6CED @? E96 A2CE:4F=2C DA64:6D E96J H:D9 E@ <66A[ E@ ;@:? >6>36C D@4:6E:6D H96C6 E96C6 2C6 6IA6C:6?465 <66A6CD H9@ 42? 96=A :7 E96J 2C6 DECF88=:?8]k^Am
kA :5lQA\C40c65h6a3h_5cg73c6\agQmQ$A64:2=:DE G6ED 2C6 2=D@ 2? 6I46==6?E D@FC46 @7 DFAA@CE 2?5 25G:46 7@C @H?6CD]”k^Am
