Jesús Correa is one of them. He grew up in Xochimilco and runs Casita del Axolotl, a small ecotourism operation on a green chinampa, one of the floating islands typical of the area that were once dedicated to agriculture.

In his aquarium, he and his wife breed and care for about 350 little salamanders in small tanks. He draws the water from the canals and purifies it with plants to reduce contamination. On weekends he gives tours to curious tourists in which he explains the incredible nature of the axolotl and its challenges, in exchange for donations to support the breeding center.

Correa said his goal is twofold: “To help save the species and also bring back ancient traditions,” like the one to eat axolotl as a delicacy, as the Aztecs did, and use it as a natural folk medicine.

In the future, he hopes there will be enough axolotls to turn the breeding center into a profitable business.

“We would like to be able to sell it for scientific research, market it as a cure for breathing problems and to make the traditional local dishes that were typical in this area and went lost,” he said.

But the reality of such ecotourism operations is less idyllic than it appears. Correa can breed up to a thousand eggs from one pair of axolotls found in the wild, but neither selling them nor releasing them in the wild would help the species rebound. The offspring are all twins, with a similar genetic makeup. Reducing the genetic variability of the species makes it weaker.

Also, the bred axolotls are kept and fed in captivity and are not used to fending for themselves. “If you were to release them in these polluted canals, they would die for sure,” said Zambrano.

“Repopulating the canals with these samples is definitely not a good idea,” he said. “Not only will it not save the species — it will jeopardize it.”

In these tricky waters, the only solution then is to protect the endangered axolotl in its habitat, which is what the UNAM team is trying to do with the help of local farmers.

In a small tributary canal, the research group set up refuges with plants to purify the water and a few cages where the axolotl can live and reproduce without stress.

“Here they have to swim, hunt and fight for food, so they’re healthier and stronger than the animals who live in a tank or in a lab,” explained Armando Tovar, a biologist from the rescue project. In his hand he held a juvenile axolotl so dark it was camouflaged by the black mud found at the bottom of the canal.

“These are phenomenal animals who can even evolve genetically, and this is what we want for the conservation of the species,” he said. But even the strongest axolotls are under threat. Tovar said more than 200 axolotls were stolen from their underwater cages one recent night.

“Many fishermen are willing to steal axolotls from breeding centers because it’s too hard to find them in the wild these days,” said Altamirano. “There is no monitoring in Xochimilco. It’s a lawless land,” he admitted, showing an illegal fishing net that has holes so tight, even axolotl eggs wouldn’t pass through.

Meanwhile, the whole world heritage site is constantly threatened by growth. The latest project proposed by the government is a new airport that would draw traffic and unregulated construction through the area.

Zambrano believes the fate of the axolotl and of its native wetland are intertwined.

“If we lose Xochimilco, we lose the axolotl,” he said. “If we lose the axolotl, we’ll probably lose Xochimilco.”