Leonardo DiCaprio praises Chester Zoo that helped the golden skiffa fish from going extinct

48-year old Leonardo DiCaprio heaped praises on Chester Zoo for preventing the golden skiffa from going extinct. Its native habitat is in Mexico and the Teuchitlan River in central-western Mexico was its only known home. These fish have not been sighted there since the 1990s. The concerted efforts of experts from Chester Zoo and Michoacan University of Mexico helped bring the species back from the dead. The zoo and the University undertook a conservation-breeding program and released 1,200 golden skiffas back into their native river. They chose the date of release to coincide with Day of the Dead celebrations in Mexico. Leonardo DiCaprio went to Instagram, a social media outlet, to praise Chester Zoo for its wonderful work. They helped to reintroduce a near-extinct species of fish to its native habitat in Mexico. DiCaprio, the Hollywood actor, describes himself as an environmentalist. He has been vocal on key climate summits, including the signing of the Paris climate agreement in 2016. Leonardo DiCaprio praises Chester Zoo for helping bring golden skiffa fish 'back from the dead'. The team at Chester was delighted with the endorsement and replied: "Thank you for sharing this incredible story!"

There are many reasons for the species of fish to face near extinction. Most of these are manmade – like construction of dam, extraction of water, pollution and an invasive species in their river. Paul Bamford is the regional programme manager for Latin America at Chester Zoo. He said - "This project is a great example of how zoos can contribute to conservation in the field through conservation breeding and research. By supporting freshwater conservation in Mexico and the ecosystems where the fish live, we're not only protecting biodiversity and the wellbeing of freshwater environments, but also the people and communities that live alongside them." Omar Dominguez-Dominguez is a professor and researcher from the Michoacan University of Mexico. He is leading the golden skiffia reintroduction. In his words - "Releasing the golden skiffia at this time is a metaphor for how the species has come back from the dead to return to its home, not for one night, but forever.” He adds that “universities, zoos and aquarists can come together to fix some of what has been destroyed and return to nature some of what has been lost is an amazing thing."

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