Guatemala released hundreds of tropical gar fry into a southern canal after La Aurora Zoo raised them in tanks—the first time the threatened species has been raised in captivity. It faces illegal fishing, pollution and extreme weather exacerbated by El Niño.
Guatemala lists the tropical gar as vulnerable. Scientists consider it prehistoric because it has survived for 100 million years without morphological changes. La Aurora Zoo conservation deputy Jennifer Hernandez told AFP that the carnivorous fish helps maintain balance in freshwater rivers.
