Aquarium Releases Endangered Frogs Back into the Wild

In 2020, the Bobcat Fire threatened the natural habitat of the Mountain Yellow-Legged Frog; an endangered species of frog that, according to the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, has only fewer than 200 individuals remaining in existence.

In response to the wildfire, several government wildlife agencies rescued the remaining mountain yellow-legged frogs and tadpoles from their habitats, and transferred them to local institutions.

And on Sept. 15, Long Beach’s Aquarium of the Pacific (AOP), along with other partner facilities, announced the release of over a hundred of these endangered frogs back into the wild.

“The aquarium’s amphibian team have taken special care of these frogs over the past year, and we are very gratified to have had a hand in helping this local endangered species,” said Brett Long, the aquarium’s curator of mammals and birds.

Beachcomber got in touch with Robert Mortensen, assistant curator of birds and mammals at AOP, who shared details about the AOP and their combined efforts with other organizations to help save these forms from what looked like certain extinction.

“We [the AOP] are part of a bigger group of zoos and aquariums that work with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and other government agencies that participate in the conservation of wildlife,” Mortensen said.

Mortensen also shared some details about the kind of care the endangered frogs were kept under, whilst at the aquarium.

“Amphibians are a little bit tricky in the fact that they have two different life stages; one that is terrestrial, and one that is fully aquatic,” Mortensen said. “We took care of the frogs, and tadpoles, by making some special-designed tanks in which two-thirds of the tank was made up of an aquatic system, and one-third of the tank was a terrestrial system.”

Mortensen also talked about the AOP’s releasing of the endangered frogs on Sept. 15. Beachcomber had asked if the aquarium was planning to keep any of the frogs.

“Unfortunately, we’re not having any of the frogs stay here,” Mortensen said. “The closest we have to that are some of the tadpoles of the Mountain Yellow-Legged Frog that haven’t fully developed into frogs or froglets yet.”

He also said that the aquarium plans to release said tadpoles back into the wild, once they’ve had a chance to grow and develop more.

 Beachcomber also asked the curator if there were any general concerns if the frogs wouldn’t be able to readjust to life in the wild, after being kept in the AOP for over a year. To which Mortensen promptly replied “no.”

“Generally, some species do better at acclimating back to the wild,” Mortensen said. “They don’t become more used to scheduled feedings and human interaction than other species. And when it comes to animals like frogs, they tend to do just fine.”

Mortensen explained that it often comes down to the amount of intellect an animal has to determine if they become habituated to humans; which results in whether or not an animal can be released into the wild without problem.

“I worked with turtles in the past, and they tend to adjust back into the wild just fine,” Mortensen said. “Marine Mammals however, can sometimes get habituated to humans, which becomes a problem when we try to release them into the wild.”

Mortensen couldn’t share where the Mountain Yellow-Legged Frogs would be released back into the wild, because he didn’t have the information with him at the time. However, according to a press release by the AOP on Sept. 18, it’s been stated that these endangered frogs depend on habitats in the San Gabriel, San Jacinto and San Bernardino Mountains.

Mortensen also told  Beachcomber what he hopes or expects to be the initial outcome of releasing the endangered frogs back into the wild.

“The hope is that these animals will adapt and breed, and start to multiply out in their wild habitats,” Mortensen said. “We hope they create bigger populations so we can be able to release more into the wild, and also start targeting some new areas in the wild to release them.”

Mortensen continued: “The more spread out these frogs are, the more resistant they are to things like the Bobcat Fire.”

Mortensen also confirmed that organizations like the United States Geological Survey (USGS) will be keeping close watch on the endangered frogs, in case of future emergencies like Bobcat Fire to threaten the species.

“Part of the release plan is that the USGS goes and surveys the populations that have been released to see how the animals are doing,” Mortensen said.

Mortensen concluded by sharing what he feels people can learn from the releasing of the endangered animals, and from the topic of endangered animals altogether.

“I think there’s a lot of messages in this,” Mortensen said. “I think through collaboration and dedication, we can perform these restoration projects, which are really important for the preservation of these endangered animals.”

If you or someone you know plans to travel through the San Gabriel, San Bernardino, or San Jacinto Mountains, the AOP requests that you help these endangered frogs recover by staying on marked trails and paths; as well as respecting signs depicting off-limit areas.