Tequila fish. Photo Credit: Chester Zoo

Animals Mexico5. March 2022

A 1998 Project Has Saved This “Extinct” Species!

Missing since 2003 and declared extinct, the Tequila fish has now been returned to the wild thanks to a decades-long project to save the species. 

Conservationists in Mexico and the UK partnered up to save the Tequila Fish back in 1998. Ten fish in total were given to scientists in the Aquatic Biology department at the Michoacana University of Mexico. The small colony expanded over the years and, remarkably, 1,500 descendant fish of those original 10 have just been released into the wild. 

“This is the first time an extinct species of fish has ever been successfully reintroduced in Mexico, so it’s a real landmark for conservation,” said Professor Omar Dominguez from the Michoacana University. 

Freshwater habitats are some of the most threatened on Earth, with species “going extinct more rapidly than terrestrial or marine wildlife,” according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. The local community at the Tequila fish release site in Jalisco, Mexico is playing a key role in ensuring the survival of the fragile species by monitoring the water quality of the surrounding rivers and lakes. The released Tequila fish population is confirmed to now be expanding into the river system, conservationists cheer. 

Source:
BBC

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