Amphibian populations are declining throughout the world, but for the critically endangered mountain yellow-legged frog there is optimism. In 2010, we successfully reintroduced 36zoo-bred tadpoles back into the wild at Hall Canyon on the University of California's James San Jacinto Mountains Reserve, where these frogs had been extinct for more than 40 years. This effort required the collaboration of many groups, including the U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, California Department of Fish and Game, U.S. Geological Survey, and the University of California Natural Reserve System. All of these groups provided input, guidance, and logistical support that led to the successful restoration of tadpoles to their historical home in the San Jacinto Mountains. With the Zoo's population of 24 females waiting for the spring breeding season, we are expecting to reintroduce hundreds of tadpoles this year to the wild forest streams of Southern California.
