The tequila fish (Zoogoneticus tequila), a small species of goodied fish which grow no bigger than 70mm long, disappeared from the wild completely in 2003 due to the introduction of invasive, exotic fish species and water pollution.

Now, conservationists at Chester Zoo and the Michoacana University of Mexico have teamed up to return over 1500 fish to a series of springs in the Teuchitlán River in the state of Jalisco in south west Mexico.

The project has been cited as an International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) case study for successful global reintroductions – with recent scientific studies confirming the fish are thriving and already breeding in the river.

Experts say it has created a blueprint for future reintroductions of other highly endangered fish species, with a rescue mission for another, the golden skiffia (Skiffia francesae), now well underway.

Where: Chester, United Kingdom
When: 29 Dec 2021