The 15th-century Dipping Bridge over the River Ogwr (Ogmore) in the village of Merthyr Mawr near Bridgend, south Wales, got its name from gaps in the parapets where farmers used to push reluctant sheep into the water for a clean. It has now passed the name on: to Dippy the axolotl, an alien-like Mexican salamander found under its arches.

Dippy, discovered by 10-year-old Evie Hill last weekend, is believed to be the first axolotl ever found in the wild in the UK; the species is critically endangered and lives only in Lake Xochimilco near Mexico City. Exactly why the 22cm (9in) amphibian ended up in the shallows under the dipping bridge may never be discovered, but Evie and her mother, Melanie – Dippy’s new owners – as well as animal welfare experts believe the most plausible explanation is that the Pokémon-like creature was abandoned.

Chris Newman, director of the Kent-based National Centre for Reptile Welfare (NCRW), said: “Axolotls are very cold tolerant, they can happily survive outdoors in our climate. What is an issue is predatory fish. In the river, I don’t think it would have lasted very long, a pike or a perch would have had it for lunch.

“It was in quite shallow water so we can only speculate it was deliberately released … I can’t see any other way it would have got there. It’s illegal to do that, and never good from a welfare standpoint either.”

The salamander, named after an Aztec god, is known for its regenerative ability; it is able to regrow bone, muscle, and nerve tissue, growing entire new limbs, tails, and parts of internal organs. It is also neotenic, staying in a juvenile state of development its entire life, and essentially stops aging after about four years.

Demand for pet axolotls has risen dramatically around the world in recent years, fuelled by internet memes and videos, as well as inspiring a Pokémon. The axolotl was the basis for a dragon in the 2010 film How to Train Your Dragon, and axolotl characters have since appeared in the computer games Fortnite, Minecraft and Roblox. In 2024, the Economist declared the salamander a “global superstar”.

But inexperienced owners can find themselves out of their depth, rescue centres say. Failing to desex pets or accidentally placing males and females in the same tank can quickly become unmanageable – females can lay up to 1,500 eggs in one go. The animals can grow to the size of a small cat and, in captivity, live for up to 20 years.

Some animal shelters have reported being swamped by axolotls. Nicole Rowe, who runs a small rescue centre in the West Midlands, bought her first from a local aquatics shop. After two months, the shop called to ask if she would take in an injured one dumped on its doorstep.

Rowe said: “She had been kept with other fish and they attacked her. She had no legs, no tail, no filaments, she was in a really bad state. Once I rescued her that was it really … I have about 30 here at the moment.”

Evie found Dippy with injuries to her tail and stomach, believed to have been caused by a predator. Her family are now documenting their new pet’s recovery on TikTok.

Melanie Hill said in a post on the social media channel: “She will still only eat bloodworm and seems to prefer it from a syringe, but I am happy that she at least seems to have her appetite returning.

“She has been having methylene blue soaks for the past two days [for her injured tail and belly]. Fingers crossed it is helping her heal and that now she is eating more she will recover well.”

Newman, the director of NCRW, said: “Anyone whose circumstances have changed and find they can no longer look after an axolotl should seek help rather than just release it into the wild.

The rescue centre could be contacted anytime, he added. “We cover the whole of the UK and there are many other rescues out there too.”