Disbelief as nature-loving 10-year-old girl finds rare axolotl in Welsh river

Melanie Hill said her daughter, Evie, was spending the day in the River Ogmore in Bridgend when she made the strange discovery.

Her mum said she was "always finding things" like newts and bugs and loved wildlife.

Evie was wading in the river near the "Dipping Bridge" and lifted up a discarded mat in the shallows when she saw the pale, nine-inch axolotl lying there.

She quickly noticed the amphibian had damage to its tail and stomach.

"I went down to the bank and there was this axolotl there," said Evie.

"I caught it and brought it back."

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Evie's find is the first documented discovery of an axolotl in the UK. Only 50 - 1,000 are left globally.

The small creatures have recently captured children's imaginations after appearing in games such as Minecraft and Roblox.

Her mum, Melanie, said they were touring Wales in their camper van when they visited the river.

"You can imagine my surprise, I couldn't believe it," she said.

"I've been telling Evie all this time that those creatures she watches on YouTube, they're not real.

"Here I am with one in my kitchen."

The family decided to take the animal home to Leicester, cutting their holiday short.

They then named it Dippy - a tribute to where Evie discovered it.

Chris Newman, director of the National Centre for Reptile Welfare, said Evie saved Dippy's life.

Melanie "spent hours" researching ways to keep Dippy healthy and they have been allowed to keep the axolotl as a pet.

"We've got a much bigger tank, and we plan to get that set up so it can be transferred," she added.

They have "no regrets" about bringing it home, she said, and Dippy has been a huge hit at Evie's school.

Axolotls used to be abundant in Mexico, even featuring on their currency, but urban expansion has reduced their habitat.

They largely flourish in captivity and are often used as aquarium pets and zoo attractions.

Discoveries of creatures like Dippy should always be reported to the government through organisations such as the National Centre for Reptile Welfare.

Dr Ros Clubb, from the RSPCA, said: "There are a lot of young axolotls, and their eggs, being advertised for sale online so we do fear that they are becoming more popular amongst children.

"They are not easy pets to keep and buying any animal should never be an impulse buy."

Looking after axolotls can be "very challenging", he said, as they have the same environmental, dietary and behavioural needs in tanks as they do in the wild.