Dicaprio puts Chester Zoo in limelight for saving rare fish

LEONARDO DICAPRIO has praised the work of Chester Zoo for bringing a rare fish species “back from the dead”.

Conservationists from the zoo worked alongside a team of global experts from the UK, North and Latin America to release 1,200 golden skiffia fish back into the Teuchitlan River in Mexico for the first time in 30 years on Wednesday.

The Hollywood actor shared the news of the successful reintroduction with his 55.6 million Instagram followers, earning thanks from the zoo.

He applauded the “resurrection” of the fish into their “native range”.

He also pointed out the release coincided with the country’s traditional Day of the Dead celebrations, when families welcome back the souls of their deceased relatives for one night.

The 48-year old’s post, which has racked up more than 282,000 likes, showed a photograph of a golden skiffia surrounded by brightly coloured flowers and colourful calaveras – the Mexican word for skulls – in reference to the annual celebration.

The species had been pushed to extinction in the wild as a result of dam construction, water extraction, pollution and the introduction of invasive species.

Prof Omar Dominguez-dominguez of the Michoacan University of Mexico, who led the reintroduction of the species said returning the fish on the Day of the Dead was an “amazing thing”.

In preparation for the release, the fish were first placed in ponds to adapt to different conditions and then taken to floating pods, known as mesocosms, in the river where they lived for at least a month to further adapt to their natural environment.

They were tagged and will be monitored for the next five years to assess whether the population is increasing and whether the fish are reproducing and thriving in the river.

Paul Bamford, the regional programme manager for Latin America at Chester Zoo, said: “This project is a great example of how zoos can contribute to conservation in the field through conservation breeding and research, utilising the skills and experience that have been developed in zoos to help strengthen existing and new wild populations.”