American amphibian lovers will be jumping for joy at the news of 3,000 frogs and tadpoles from an endangered species bred and released into their former mountain homes.
San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance has been breeding and reintroducing the endangered mountain yellow-legged frog for decades into the San Bernardino and San Jacinto mountains.
Leaving their small carrying crates to take their first hops into the wild world, zoo conservationists smiled as they watched some 3,000 native amphibians disappear into the waters of Bluff Lake in the Big Bear area, one of several sites where reintroductions have taken place this year.
Once historically abundant, the species has declined by more than 98%. The species faces a number of threats, including disease, introduced predators, wildfire and drought. Conservation teams continue to monitor reintroduced frogs to track their health, survival and success in their native mountain habitats…