We have comprehend a lot of great brute leak floor in the last yr , fromHoudini octopusestofreedom - agitate Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris . This , regrettably , is not one of them .
Over Thanksgiving weekend , more than 350 endangered blind salamanders disappeared from an aquatic research center in Texas , and the researchers are so desperate to get them back , there is now a $ 20,000 reward for their secure tax return .
“ misplace hundreds of these amazing salamander is a severe blow to their conservation , ” said Collette Adkins , an attorney and life scientist with the Center , in astatement . “ The San Marcos adeptness service as a ‘ Noah ’s Ark ’ that could maintain the slight salamanders if they went extinct in the wild . The tragical loss of these animals threaten their very existence . ”
Both species of salamander are endemic to the springs around San Marcos and Hays County , and have very specific requirement for living , include highly - oxygenise clean water at a sure temperature . The San Marcos salamander gain prescribed protection back in 1980 , while the Texas blind salamander has been protect since 1967 .
Water defilement has caused their numbers to dwindle , so scientist at the center have been working for years on keeping them alert , introduce a captive breeding computer programme that aims to reintroduce high Book of Numbers back into the wild .
There are a identification number of theories about what happened , but without any security footage to go on , they can only hazard at the moment . It is potential that a predatory animal managed to get into the quickness , though it is more likely they were stolen , either to sell on the black market or to “ detached ” the creatures .
The act of break an animal out of enslavement , despite unspoiled intentions , is often misplaced . Without understanding the situation , it often lead in harm to the animate being . Animals breed in captivity frequently do not have the skill to outlast on their own , like the case of apenguin stolenfrom an aquatic sum in South Africa , which almost certainly ensue in the penguin ’s demise and the destruction of his two chicks , as penguins are monogamous and his mate could n’t keep them alive . Oh yes , and they were menace penguins too .
“ Someone out there know who did this , and I really hope they ’ll step forward and help batten justice for these creature , ” Adkins tell .
Anyone with information about the missing animals can contact theUS Fish and Wildlife ServiceorOperation Game Thief .
