Conservation organisation Aussie Ark, along with partners Australian Reptile Park, are celebrating the birth of 100 endangered Green and Golden Bell Frogs following a successful breeding project earlier this year.
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Established in 2021, the Green and Golden Bell Frog project aims to breed the species while trialling chytrid immunity treatments, and eventually to 'rewild' the species to boost populations within the wild.
Known for their striking colour combination of bright green backs with gold patches, the Green and Golden Bell frogs are rapidly declining in numbers, as is the case with many Australian frog species.
Amphibians, particularly frogs, are among the hardest hit by this extinction crisis, with a United Nations report confirming that 40 per cent of amphibian species currently being under threat.
"Frogs are incredible animals - they act as environmental health indicators. So, the disappearance of our amphibian species is a definite cause for concern," head of reptiles at Australian Reptile Park, Jake Meney said.
"That's what makes projects like this, set up by conservation organisations like Aussie Ark, so incredibly important. In just a short time we have already had incredible success. We know that long term we can make a real difference to the species," Jake said.
The conservation program started by Aussie Ark, in collaboration with Macquarie University, aims to breed the endangered species in large enough numbers to return to the wild. At the same time, researchers will look at a key driver of extinction in frogs, Chytrid Fungus, and ways to boost a frog's immunity to the disease.
Macquarie University's Professor Rick Shine is working with Aussie Ark in this project. "Green and Golden Bell Frogs were abundant in the Sydney area just a few decades ago, but now persist only in small isolated populations. Bringing back these spectacular amphibians would be a major step towards restoring degraded ecosystems," Professor Shine said.
This first colony of Green and Golden Bell frogs born in the program is just the first step. The organisation has goals to one day hopefully rewild thousands of the endangered species back to the wild, to help bolster the wild population and have the species re-establish over its former range.
Work will continue over the coming years to breed the endangered species and continue working with Macquarie University on developing Chytrid Fungus Immunity. You can support Aussie Ark and their work to protect a the Green and Golden Bell Frog by donating today: https://www.aussieark.org.au/donate/
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