from City of Edmonton

Edmonton Valley Zoo joins effort to protect endangered frogs

December 4, 2019

The Edmonton Valley Zoo is leaping at the chance to be part of a program to save northern leopard frogs from extinction.

The Zoo received 22 of the highly endangered frogs and plans to establish a permanent conservation breeding population here in Edmonton. The offspring will be released in a targeted location in British Columbia with the goal of bringing the species back from the edge of extinction. In British Columbia, there is only a single remaining native population of northern leopard frogs located in the Creston Valley, but this population is vulnerable to extinction from habitat loss, disease and invasive species.

Northern Leopard Frog

The five-month-old frogs came from the Calgary Zoo and are in quarantine at the Edmonton Valley Zoo. Next year they will move into a new public enclosure. Once the frogs begin breeding, their offspring will be relocated to the Columbia Marshes in southeast British Columbia to help re-establish a wild population.

“Our zoo team has proven expertise in caring for several endangered frog species, so we felt we could make a substantial contribution to this important conservation project,” said Lindsey Galloway, Director of the Edmonton Valley Zoo. “Frogs play an important role in our ecosystems. One third of the world’s amphibian species are at risk of extinction and by playing a role in this program, we can help one species recover.”

In addition to the northern leopard frogs, the zoo is home to 13 other species of amphibians.

“We started to care for amphibians in 2008 to bring attention to the biggest extinction event since the dinosaurs,” said zookeeper Wayne Woods. “Since 2008 we have bred numerous species including the critically endangered golden mantella from Madagascar.”

Northern leopard frog populations in western Canada declined sharply in the 1970s and are listed federally as an endangered species in British Columbia. This new Edmonton population will support the reintroduction breeding program, part of the British Columbia Northern Leopard Frog Recovery Team. In addition to the Edmonton Valley Zoo, the recovery team includes the Calgary Zoo, the Vancouver Aquarium, local biologists, indigenous groups and representatives from the Government of British Columbia.

“Edmonton Valley Zoo is working hard to find new ways to help at-risk species,” said Galloway. “Our goal is to inspire our 400,000 annual visitors to become advocates for conservation. In addition, we are home to 14 endangered species, such as Amur Tigers and Grevy’s Zebra, and participate in Species Survival Plans that support genetic diversity. With this northern leopard frog program, we get to put animals back in the wild.”

Frogs around the world are important indicators of wetland health. Frog species are very adaptable so when populations decline it is a sure sign something is wrong in the ecosystem and other living things in the habitat may be in jeopardy. Northern leopard frogs are genetically distinct from other species found in Canada and are vulnerable to habitat loss and disease. Two additional populations have already been reintroduced to the wild as part of the program.