[uoaei]

So is it likely this one merely escaped? I find it hard to believe someone who would own one of these would not be an enthusiast, and that enthusiasts wouldn't find another owner for a critically endangered species rather than merely drop it under a local bridge.

[culi]

No it is extremely unlikely this is an "escape". This would be lucky to survive for a week in Europe. Almost certainly what happened is someone bought one and then realized they are too complicated to take care of and decided to dump it in a spot they thought looked pretty

Also there are 1,000 of these in the wild but there are over a million of them in captivity. You can get a typical morph for about $50.

[sidewndr46]

It's this, for sure. An axolotl is not going to live in the wild. I own a home near a public pond. There are pretty much always fancy goldfish swimming in it during the time of the year that everyone moves out. People just decide not to keep their fish.

[freehorse]

> I find it hard to believe someone who would own one of these would not be an enthusiast

You underestimate how many people lack impulse control or consideration over their choices, and their lack of understanding of consequences when buying a living organism.