Critically endangered frogs returned six years after Black Summer
Saved from a puddle after the Black Summer bushfires as tadpoles, these frogs are now fully formed and returning to the wild.
Almost six years after the Black Summer fires ravaged their habitat in East Gippsland, a colony of 53 critically endangered Southern Giant Burrowing Frogs is being reintroduced to the wild. These rare amphibians, native to southeast Australia, were initially discovered as tadpoles after the devastating 2019/2020 bushfires destroyed much of their forest home.
Zoos Victoria, in collaboration with Melbourne Zoo and Healesville Sanctuary, successfully bred the frogs in captivity for the first time ever. With their large eyes and muscular limbs, the frogs are roughly the size of a cricket ball and spend most of their time underground until they emerge to breed after heavy rainfall. This secretive nature makes them difficult to study, but their return to the wild is a significant achievement for conservation efforts.
Scientists will continue to monitor the frogs' progress and track their growth as they acclimate to their new environment.
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