AXOLOTLS TRANSFERRED TO RIO DE JANEIRO
Twenty-two axolotls (Ambystoma mexicanum) born at the Pantanal Biopark in Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, have been transferred to the Marine Aquarium of Rio de Janeiro.
These animals are the second generation of Mexican salamanders that were smuggled into Brazil. The species is native to Mexico City.
In 2022, the Federal Highway Police and the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (Ibama) seized ten of these amphibians in Miranda, in the Pantanal region.
Since then, the axolotls have been one of the attractions at the world’s largest freshwater aquarium.
Read more here https://pantanalagency.news/listing/pantanal-biopark-is-the-largest-freshwater-aquarium-in-the-world/
As an exotic and endangered species, the fine for buying or selling one of these animals can reach up to US$ 1,250, according to Ibama.
Biologists warn of the danger posed by non-native animals to Brazilian ecosystems.
"It is very important that these axolotls are properly kept in captivity, because if they gain access to the natural environment, it could lead to what we call an ecological invasion — an exotic species entering a habitat where it doesn't naturally occur. This exotic species can compete for resources with native species, bring in diseases that didn’t exist here before, and cause overall environmental imbalance," says Gustavo Figueiroa from the NGO SOS Pantanal.
The axolotl move
The transfer operation was complex. The distance between Campo Grande and Rio de Janeiro is 1,405 km (873 miles).
Planning for the plane trip began a month in advance. The axolotls were packed in oxygenated plastic bags filled with cold water. To ensure their survival, the temperature needed to be maintained at 20°C (68°F).
In Rio de Janeiro, the animals are going through a quarantine period before being released for public display.
According to Maria Fernanda Balestieri, director of the Pantanal Biopark, this exchange between facilities will help reinforce efforts to preserve the axolotls.