Sister Ofelia Morales Francisco is working to help save the endangered Lake Patzcuaro salamander, or Ambystoma dumeriliiThe nun is part of a team at a Dominican convent in Mexico that is fighting to save the Lake Patzcuaro salamander, a critically endangered species. The nuns' syrup sold so well it became the convent's main source of income. However, since the 1980s, the achoque's numbers have plunged "dramatically," said Maria Esther Quintero, who works on protecting endangered species for Mexico's National Commission on Biodiversity. The International Union for Conservation of Nature warns the Lake Patzcuaro salamander "is believed to be in very serious decline, and might be close to extinction." But for now, Lake Patzcuaro is too polluted to reintroduce them there.

Source: Bangkok Post September 13, 2018 04:18 UTC