The Axolotl (Ak-suh-lah-tuhl) is an almost extinct salamander native only to Lake Xochimilco (So-shi-mil-co) just south of Mexico City. These unique animals could be gone in the next 8-10 years if nothing else is done to help them survive.

I visited and interviewed the Autonomous University of Mexico researchers who are vigilantly working on solutions to save this species that is not found in the wild anywhere else in the world. These researchers have set up several protected refuges around the lake where the salamander can breed and live without the threat of predators.

The axolotl is part of Mexican culture and history, if this species disappears a vital part of the culture will be gone forever.