Marking Taronga’s 20 Years on the Frontline for one of Australia’s Rarest Frogs

Bred at Taronga Zoo Sydney in quarantine facilities, 1,450 critically endangered Southern Corroboree Frog eggs have been released into carefully selected subalpine sites in Kosciuszko National Park.

The release coincides with Taronga’s 20-year anniversary of Southern Corroboree Frog conservation, a legacy commitment for a species teetering on the brink of extinction.

The striking black-and-yellow frog is listed as critically endangered, with fewer than 50 individuals believed to remain in the wild outside of managed containment areas, following decades of decline driven by climate pressures and the devastating impacts of chytrid fungus.

The Southern Corroboree Frog conservation program is led by the NSW Government’s Saving Our Species program, and in partnership with NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service and Zoos Victoria.

There from the inception of the conservation program, Taronga’s Wildlife Conservation Officer and herpetofauna expert Michael McFadden said the egg release represents both hope and urgency for the species’ future.

“Twenty years ago, the future for this frog looked incredibly bleak. Today, with thanks to science, collaboration and persistence, we are returning record numbers of eggs to the wild to give this species the best possible chance of recovery.”  

The critically endangered eggs were bred at Taronga’s refrigerated quarantine breeding facilities before being transported to high-altitude sphagnum bogs near Mount Kosciuszko, Australia’s highest peak at 2,228 metres, located within Kosciuszko National Park in NSW’s Snowy Mountains.

Southern Corroboree Frogs were once widespread across subalpine regions of NSW, but their numbers crashed dramatically after chytrid fungus was introduced to Australia in the 1970’s. Today, they are considered one of Australia’s most threatened vertebrate species.

Taronga is committed to continuing its role in Corroboree Frog conservation, combining conservation breeding, field science, biobanking, disease research and community engagement to help prevent the extinction of this iconic Australia amphibian.

“This species is a symbol of what’s at stake for Australia’s wildlife if we do not act,” said Michael.

“Reaching 20 years of conservation effort is something to celebrate, but it’s also a reminder that our work is far from finished.”