Lake Xochimilco in Mexico City is the only place left on Earth where wild axolotls live. While it used to be much larger, the lake has shrunk substantially due to being drained over the years, and with it the axolotl population has reduced dramatically. In 1998 the population was about 6000 organisms per square kilometer. By 2000 it was down to 1000 per square kilometer, then 100 in 2008, and finally 35 in 2017. If things continue to go this way, there is a very real possibility that the axolotl will be extinct within the next ten years. 

We cannot let this happen. The axolotl is one of the most unique animals out there. Unlike other salamanders, they remain living in the water for their entire lives. In addition to this, they have the incredible ability to regenerate parts of their body that have been injured or lost. This special power even extends to them being able to regenerate damaged parts of their brain. Because of this, they have been heavily researched in labs across the world. This led to the discovery that they have the largest genome ever sequenced. While there is a large captive axolotl population, it is severely inbred, which makes it vulnerable to disease. If the wild population were to die off, it would be a severe lost to the scientific community that studies them. 

While there are multiple reasons for the decline of the axolotl population in Lake Xochimilco, including invasive species of fish, one of the main problems is that the lake is very polluted. A lot of water pollution comes from a nearby water processing plant called Planta de Tratamiento de Aguas Residuales Cerro de la Estrella. Water pollution also comes from residents of the area also dump sewage into the lake, and local farmers who use pesticides. Because of this, the water now contains heavy metals, which is especially harmful to axolotls because they are amphibians, which means they partially breathe through their skin. 

As you can see, it is imperative that pollution in Lake Xochimilco stops in order to save the axolotl. I urge you to sign this petition so that one of the most unique animals in the world does not go extinct in the wild.