So far in 2020, it seems if it’s not one thing, it’s another. It may feel like there’s been nothing really worth celebrating.
At times like these, we need to take the small victories as they come — such as saving endangered animals.
One such group is a special species native to Arizona. Tara Harris, director of Conservation at the Phoenix Zoo explained more about their conservation efforts.
“That’s the Chiricahua leopard frog. We're really excited that we've released over 25,000 frogs and froglets and tadpoles here from the zoo, back out to the wild.”
Twenty-five-thousand is a fitting number as this is the 25th year of frog conservation in Arizona.
Harris explained what caused the frogs' numbers to decline in the first place.
“The Chiricahua leopard frog is listed as threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. And it is primarily threatened by things like habitat loss, disease and competition from and predation by non-native species here in Arizona and beyond, such as bullfrogs," Harris said.
The Phoenix Zoo along with Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) and some federal partners are making sure the Chiricahua leopard frog will always have a place in its natural habitat of Arizona.
