Nell Greenfield Boyce

After two earthquakes shook up the waters of Devil's Hole, its pupfish population plummeted.

Only 20 fish were left.

Wildlife officials debated what to do, just as the federal workforce was experiencing mass firings and a government shutdown loomed.

Moving quickly, biologists took some pupfish from a backup population that had been established in captivity over a decade ago and released them into Devil's Hole.

Those fish survived, babies started appearing, and biologists later added in some additional captive-bred fish.

This spring, an official count found 77 Devil's Hole pupfish swimming around their rocky fishbowl in the desert.

Nell Greenfield-Boyce, NPR News.

After two earthquakes shook up the waters of Devil's Hole, its pupfish population plummeted.

Only 20 fish were left.

Wildlife officials debated what to do.

Just as the federal workforce was experiencing mass firings...

and a government shutdown loomed.

Moving quickly, biologists took some pupfish from a backup population that had been established in captivity over a decade ago and released them into Devil's Hole.

Those fish survived, babies started appearing, and biologists later added in some additional captive-bred fish.

This spring, an official count found 77 Devil's Hole pupfish swimming around their rocky fishbowl in the desert.

Nell Greenfield Boyce, NPR News.

After two earthquakes shook up the waters of Devil's Hole, its pupfish population plummeted.

Only 20 fish were left.

Wildlife officials debated what to do.

just as the federal workforce was experiencing mass firings and a government shutdown loomed.