Just over a year ago, several dozen poached Italian alpine salamanders from three highly endangered subspecies or species were rescued. Citizen Conservation coordinated and financed the establishment of the “Alpine Salamander Competence Centre” to professionally nurse the injured animals back to health, to gain experience with these previously rarely kept and little-known amphibians, and thus to lay the foundation for long-term conservation breeding. The enclosures were set up in disused bunkers on the grounds of the Sachsenhagen Wildlife and Species Protection Station and at Hannover Adventure Zoo, where the special climatic requirements of these high-altitude dwellers can be met.

But even the best facilities are useless if they are not managed with the necessary expertise. And no one in Germany can do that better than Uwe Seidel, a proven salamander expert and member of the Citizen Conservation Advisory Board. The 65-year-old dental technician has been dedicated to keeping and breeding fire salamanders, the closest relatives of Alpine salamanders, for over five decades. Since the confiscation of the poached animals, he has taken care of them on behalf of the relevant authorities, initially at his own home, later organising the planning of the terrariums and the relocation of the animals to the competence centre’s sites. Since then, he has been advising the carers on site during regular visits and always lending a hand himself to ensure the best possible care. To ensure that this extraordinary, hitherto purely voluntary commitment, involving countless kilometres of driving and a great deal of time, is at least somewhat recognised and continued in the future, Citizen Conservation has secured his continued cooperation with an employment contract – for a minor but by no means insignificant job. This makes Uwe the oldest resident of the Alpine Salamander Competence Centre, so to speak.

And now he can proudly present the youngest member of the family: Lanza’s first alpine salamander baby was born in Sachsenhagen a few days ago. It is 6 cm long and weighs an impressive 1.4 grams! As these specialists, which are adapted to adverse environmental conditions, have an extremely long gestation period – two to four years, the longest of any land vertebrate – the young mother probably mated in her native Italy. The fact that the birth in Sachsenhagen went smoothly and the newborn is visibly doing well is thanks to salamander rescuer Uwe Seidel and the entire team at the competence centre – and a hopeful start for the preservation of this species in human care, which unfortunately faces a very bleak future in its natural habitat.