Los Angeles Zoo releases 653 endangered frogs into San Gabriel Mountains

The Los Angeles Zoo, in collaboration with the Aquarium of the Pacific and the U.S. Geological Survey, has released 653 endangered southern mountain yellow-legged frogs into the San Gabriel Mountains. The releases took place in two stages during August, with 338 frogs released on August 18 and 315 frogs released on August 27.

All 653 frogs were bred at the Los Angeles Zoo. Notably, 227 of these individuals were raised in the zoo’s new, bio-secure amphibian headstarting facility located within the Children’s Discovery Center. This specialized, temperature-controlled environment is designed to increase survival rates by providing optimal water quality and life support systems during the early stages of development.

This initiative is part of the ongoing Southern Mountain Yellow-legged Frog Recovery Program. Since the program's inception, the Los Angeles Zoo has released nearly 7,000 zoo-bred frogs into the wild to support the recovery of this endangered species.