Booroolong Frogs
The Booroolong Frogs that were released are the first to be bred in zoos, only a year after Taronga started a breeding program to save the tiny amphibian.
More than 600 individual frogs were released, providing a significant boost to the wild populations of South-Western NSW. The breeding program has been an unprecedented success, starting with only 34 frogs early last year.
A total of ten trips have already been completed to the release site to monitor and study the progress of the released frogs. On each trip released frogs have been found and observed and shown to be healthy. It is hoped that during this summer up to 1000 more Zoo bred Booroolong Frogs will be released into this wild population to help their survival.
This critically endangered native species has suffered unprecedented population declines recently, with fewer than 5000 individual frogs remaining in the wild with their population estimated to have declined by over 50% and has disappeared from most of its northern NSW range. The decline has been attributed to water pollution, loss of habitat and use of herbicides and pesticides, as well as the deadly chyrtid fungus and climate change.
Taronga Zoo is also breeding the endangered Corroboree Frog, a colourful native species which has suffered dramatic population decline mainly due to the deadly Chytrid fungus, with only 50 remaining in the Kosciusko National Park.
Chytrid fungus is an infectious disease which attacks frogs in cool mountainous regions. The disease has also caused dramatic decline in frog species from New Zealand, USA, Central America, South America, Spain and Germany and is notoriously difficult to treat.
Taronga Zoo is continuing to conduct field research and breeding to boost Corroboree Frog numbers. However, current environmental threats to the species mean that a release is unlikely until next year at the earliest.
Approximately 165 of the world's known amphibian species may already be extinct and another third are classified as threatened. Taronga Zoo has an outstanding record with amphibian conservation, rehabilitaion, research and breeding programs. These include a recovery program for the Green and Golden Bell Frog, a Sydney Basin frog on the brink of extinction, continuing the Zoo's vital public education programs whilst Taronga Zoo's Wildlife Clinic cares for a range of frog species annually.
