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.
