Tequila Sunrise Surprise

The Tequila fish (Zoogoneticus tequila) had been declared extinct in the wild. This fish had only been found in the Teuchitlan river in S-W Mexico. Tequila fish appeared to have been driven to extinction by a combination of water pollution and introduced predators. This fish is now, however, cited as a conservation success story (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/dec/29/uk-zoo-helps-lost-mexican-fish-live-to-see-another-tequila-sunrise). Captive Tequila fish were sent from Chester zoo, in the UK, to Michoacana University in Mexico. The fish were bred in impressive numbers and some were habituated to wild conditions in a Mexican lake. More than 1,500 Tequila fish have now been returned to the Teuchitlan river. This is presumably after sorting out the pollution problem and, at least, drastically reducing predator numbers. The collaboration seems to be a good model for reintroduction programmes. It was, of course, only possible, as the Tequila fish had survived in a zoo.