AssetID: 54583995
Headline: Froglet Release Sparks New Hope For Endangered Australian Species
Caption: These cute little guys are one of the world’s rarest amphibians, the Baw Baw frog. Having been thought likely to go extinct, captive breeding programmes are bringing it back in its home, the Baw Baw Plateau and Mount Baw Baw in Victoria, Australia. Around 40 adult and 3,000 metamorph Baw Baw Frogs have been released onto the Plateau from a breeding programme at Melbourne Zoo. Now, Zoos Victoria's Wildlife Detection Dog squad is joining the mission to ensure the frogs are thriving in their natural habitat. While the record-breaking number of frogs released at Mount Baw Baw is a milestone worth celebrating, the field team – who monitor the wild population each spring – remain cautiously optimistic. Deon Gilbert, Threatened Species Biologist – Herpetofauna, said that a trial release site, where the Critically Endangered frog had historically been absent, is showing promising signs of success. "One of the introduction sites we established a few years ago seems to be doing quite well, to the point where we've had males return and start calling," he said. Finding the elusive frog is no easy task. The small brown amphibian is only found in the high-altitude forests of Baw Baw Plateau, where it spends most of its time buried under soft mud and soil. This is where a finely tuned ear becomes invaluable. When male frogs reach sexual maturity at around four years old, they establish call sites to attract females while signalling to other males that the territory is occupied. "We can confidently say that all the frogs returning to this site are related to zoo-bred animals from Melbourne Zoo’s conservation breeding programme. What we don't yet know is whether they're the same adult frogs we released, a new generation, or a combination of both. "However, if the males are surviving and calling, there's a very good chance that females are nearby too." Zoos Victoria’s Wildlife Detection Dog squad is now in its third season supporting the Baw Baw Frog conservation efforts. Detection dogs Kip, Finn and Sugar have been specially trained to locate the frogs and sit calmly at the site until their handlers and field biologists confirm the discovery. This year, the 40 adult frogs released at Baw Baw Plateau were fitted with radio transmitters, allowing the team to precisely track the frogs once the dogs alert to their presence – minimising disturbance to the frog and its environment. "It’s a much more accurate way to confirm the frogs’ location, and it means we’re able to reward the dogs more quickly for their work," Gilbert added. The collaborative efforts between Zoos Victoria, Melbourne Zoo, and the Wildlife Detection Dog squad offer new hope for the survival of the Baw Baw Frog, as researchers continue to monitor and protect one of Australia’s most endangered amphibians.
Keywords: video,photo,frogs,froglets,feature
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