Evie Hill, 10, and the Mexican axolotl now named Dippy D. (Melanie Hill via SWNS)
By Ed Chatterton
A 10-year-old girl was left stunned to find a critically endangered Mexican axolotl under a bridge in Wales — the first discovery of its kind ever in the U.K.
Melanie Hill's daughter Evie had been playing down by the River Ogmore in Bridgend, South Wales, when she made the incredible find on April 10.
The nature-loving youngster spotted the 9-inch (22 cm) pale salamander, which was nestled in the rocks, after lifting up a discarded mat in the river and rushed to tell her excited mother.
Melanie, 50, said she didn't believe her daughter for a minute when she said she had found an axolotl, believing it was more likely to be a newt or a snake.
But she was left gobsmacked to find the exotic amphibian in the water, which they retrieved and stored in a gravy boat before driving to the nearest Range store to buy a suitable container.
The family then cut their holiday short and their new pet — named Dippy D by Evie — now resides in a new tank back in their kitchen in Leicester.
Mom-of-eight Melanie, who works as a school premises officer, said: "We had been travelling around Wales in our campervan and were trying to find a place to stop overnight on the way to Barry.
The Mexican axolotl named Dippy D in its tank. (Melanie Hill via SWNS)
"We found a place to pull over by what's known as the Dipping Bridge and Evie loves nature so she went off paddling and playing down by the river.
"There was a piece of mat in the water which she lifted up and there she spotted it.
"She rather excitedly came running back up saying she'd seen an axolotl — and I quite simply told her 'no you haven't.'
"Evie watches them on YouTube so knows what they look like but of course I didn't believe her for a moment.
"I thought she's found a lizard, a newt or a snake perhaps.
"I've been telling Evie all this time that those creatures she watches on YouTube, they're not real.
"But she was about to make me eat my words — because now I have one in my kitchen.
Evie and where she found the Mexican axolotl. (Melanie Hill via SWNS)
"So after she told us about her new discovery, we walked back down to the river.
"The water had gone cloudy where she had disturbed it — but then she spotted it again.
"Well, you can imagine my surprise, I really couldn't believe it.
"We retrieved it from the water and placed it in my sister-in-law's gravy boat.
"We drove to Bridgend and bought a more suitable container from The Range and it spent one night with us in the van."
The next day the family contacted a local breeder as the creature had damage to its tail and stomach.
After getting advice on how to care for it, the family cut their holiday short to take the axolotl back to their home.
Melanie added: "Evie is delighted with her new pet, they are such amazing creatures.
"It is recovering well, they have this ability to regrow and rebuild after injury.
(Melanie Hill via SWNS)
"We spent hours doing our research on how best to keep it healthy and we have no regrets on bringing it home.
"Evie has named him Dippy D — Dippy after the bridge where it was found and D for dragon as it our Welsh Dragon.
"We've got a much bigger tank, and we plan to get that set up so it can be transferred."
Year 5 pupil Evie told how she caught the axolotl with her bare hands from the river to prove to her mom she wasn't lying.
She said: "I was just playing down by the river lifting things up to see what I could find and I lifted up a green mat and saw an axolotl.
"I knew what it was straight away because I saw its gills.
Evie and the Mexican axolotl named Dippy D. (Melanie Hill via SWNS)
"I have seen them on YouTube on Minecraft videos and other videos showing how to look after them.
"I ran up to my mum shouting 'I've found an axolotl, I've found an axolotl' — but she did not believe me at all.
"But she told me not to go back in the water and then I went down to the bank and spotted it again.
"So I jumped in and caught it with my hands.
"I went back to my mum and said 'I'm sorry I broke the rules but look I've caught the axolotl.'
"She was quite shocked. We put it in a gravy jug before going to the Range to buy a tub.
"We couldn't put it back in the water as it is illegal to so we brought it back home.
"My friends at school think it's really cool."
(Melanie Hill via SWNS)
Experts say it is the first documented discovery of an axolotl in the wild in the U.K. with only 50 to 1,000 individuals left globally today.
Axolotls as pets have seen an explosion in popularity in recent years — thanks to games like Minecraft and Roblox.
They are only found in Lake Xochimilco near Mexico City and are considered critically endangered in the wild.
Chris Newman, director of the National Centre for Reptile Welfare, told the BBC Evie probably saved Dippy's life when she discovered it.
He said there were no recorded sightings of Mexican axolotls in the United Kingdom.
He added: "This is a quite a unique situation, and I think the young female has a keen eye to actually spot it.
"I think she did remarkable to find him.
"Catching them is no mean feat — they're quite slippery, so I think she did really well."