Aquarium of the Pacific releases 1,000 endangered frogs

The Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach has released 1,000 critically endangered mountain yellow-legged frogs into the wild since 2020. This conservation effort follows the devastating Bobcat Fire in 2020, which destroyed approximately 95% of the species' habitat.

In August, more than 650 frogs were released, with nearly 400 of those raised within the aquarium's nursery. The captive rearing and breeding program is conducted in coordination with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. These amphibians are vital to their ecosystems, serving as a food source for various animals and helping maintain clean waterways by consuming algae and organic matter.

The population of these frogs, once the most populous vertebrate in their mountain habitats, dwindled to fewer than 200 by 2021. Their decline has been driven by several factors, including the introduction of nonnative trout, the chytrid fungus, and habitat loss from wildfires and mudslides.