ROYAL OAK, Mich. (WNEM) – The Detroit Zoo is helping give a critically endangered species a new start by sending thousands of toad tadpoles to Puerto Rico to be released into the wild.
The Detroit Zoological Society said the zoo shipped 6,855 Puerto Rican crested toad tadpoles — an amphibian found only in Puerto Rico — for release in the Rio Encantado rainforest area in Manatí. The effort is part of a long-running amphibian reintroduction program.
“Each of these tadpoles represents a lot of care, coordination and hope,” said Mark Vassallo, curator of amphibians for the Detroit Zoological Society. “For our team, it’s incredibly meaningful to know that work happening here at the Detroit Zoo can help support the future of a species in Puerto Rico. Amphibians are facing serious challenges globally, and efforts like this show how zoos and the communities that support them can play an important role in protecting vulnerable wildlife.”
The zoo said the toads rely on healthy habitat and freshwater pools to breed, making conservation work critical to strengthening wild populations and protecting Puerto Rico’s native biodiversity.
Including this release, the Detroit Zoo has raised and released 143,195 tadpoles through the program, the society said.
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