They’re Here!
You’d be surprised by what travels in the mail! The long-awaited arrival of thirteen endangered Wyoming toads is finally over. FedEx delivered the lumpy little amphibians into the open arms of the zoo’s keeper staff Thursday, June 23. Representatives of Wyo-ben, sponsors of the zoo’s Wyoming toad program, were on hand to welcome the toads. These animals will be housed in the new exhibit especially purchased for them by the Auxiliary to the Montana Veterinary Medical Association.
Wyoming toads are only found in the Laramie Basin in Wyoming. They were once widespread throughout the area’s rivers, streams and spring-fed lakes but began a rapid population decline in the 1970’s. By 1980 only one population was known to still exist. The toad was listed as an endangered species in 1984 and four years later Wyoming Game & Fish removed a few toads from the wild to begin captive breeding efforts. Since then there have been a growing number of players in the captive breeding and reintroduction efforts. Successes have been mixed with new difficulties. The most recent obstacle is chytrid fungus, which has been implicated in the die-offs of Wyoming toads at the main release site. Fortunately, the passage of the Safe Harbor Agreement has allowed private citizens who wanted to help to do so without all the past complications and red tape issues of dealing with an endangered species on their land.
These Wyoming toads came to ZooMontana from the Philadelphia Zoo and are part of the Species Survival Plan’s breeding and reintroduction program.
More information about the Wyoming Toad
|
