ROYAL OAK, Mich. – The Detroit Zoo sent 6,855 tadpoles to be released in Puerto Rico.
The thousands of Puerto Rican crested toad tadpoles will have a new start in the wild in Rio Encantado, a rainforest area in Manati, Puerto Rico.
This effort is part of the longest-running amphibian reintroduction program in the world.
Puerto Rican crested toads are critically endangered amphibians found only in Puerto Rico.
This species at this time needs aid both in its native habitat and from conservation partners.
Puerto Rican crested toads rely on healthy habitat and temporary freshwater pools to breed, making conservation necessary.
Through tadpole releases, the Detroit Zoo is contributing to an effort to strengthen wild populations and protect an important part of Puerto Rico’s native biodiversity.
The Detroit Zoo has raised and released 143,195 tadpoles to date as part of the conservation 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 work is a part of the Detroit Zoological Society’s commitment to conservation that beyond southeast Michigan.
While the release will take place thousands of miles from Royal Oak, it is made possible in part by the care and support rooted of the Detroit Zoo community.
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