Researchers celebrate after setting up first-of-its-kind animal reunion: 'It was a long time coming'

More than 350 endangered frogs just had a hoppy reunion with the wild, and researchers couldn't be more thrilled.

In a major conservation milestone, the Birch Aquarium in San Diego joined forces with regional partners to reintroduce mountain yellow-legged frogs to Bluff Lake in the San Bernardino Mountains.

It was the first-ever species reintroduction for the Birch Aquarium and one of the largest for this frog species, which has been endangered since 2002, as Phys.org observed.

Once common across Southern California, mountain yellow-legged frogs nearly vanished due to drought, disease, human activity, and invasive trout that preyed on them. Until a previous release in 2023, no frogs had been recorded at Bluff Lake since 1951.

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Reintroducing this frog isn't only about saving one species. Amphibians have a reputation as environmental "canaries in the coal mine," because their disappearance is a clear sign of wider ecological problems.

Bringing them back helps restore balance in aquatic ecosystems, which benefits plants, insects, and even water quality. Healthy ecosystems, in turn, support the surrounding human communities who rely on them.

To give the frogs the best chance at survival, scientists tried two methods: directly releasing some into the lake while acclimating others in a special habitat for a week before release. Each frog was also microchipped, allowing researchers to monitor their progress over time.

This project demonstrates how collaborative conservation can make a big impact in our world. Efforts like this drive progress toward a cleaner, safer future for us all. That's because protecting biodiversity helps sustain ecosystems that humans rely on, too.

We've seen other wins like this, including the recovery of the Southern California steelhead trout after rampant wildfires, as well as rare bird species returning to England. Together, these stories are evidence that species we thought were lost can return with persistence and teamwork.

"It was a long time coming," Sean Bruce, assistant curator at the Birch Aquarium, said, per Phys.org. "Everybody was pretty excited to hopefully see some results."

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In a Birch Aquarium announcement, Bruce also called it an "exciting and emotional day."

"We have been raising these frogs for more than a year, and to finally reach this milestone is truly remarkable!" he added.

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