The critically endangered white-bellied frog has been given a population boost, with dozens returned to the wild.
This latest release at a creek near Boranup Downs takes the total number reintroduced to more than 1,250. The tiny frog only grows up to 24 millimetres and is found in an area spanning about 130 square kilometres between Karridale and Witchcliffe.
Egg nests are collected from the wild by the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, and then reared to adulthood in a protected environment at Perth Zoo – the first zoo to successfully breed these frogs in captivity in 2011.
The program not only helps increase the numbers of white-bellied frog (Anstisia alba) but two other vulnerable species – the orange-bellied frog (Anstisia vitellina) and the sunset frog (Spicospina flammocaerulea).
Vital habitat in the Leeuwin-Naturaliste ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾ Park was threatened by a bushfire last year, but crews managed to protect the area, following prescribed burns.
As stated by Environment Minister Reece Whitby:
“Protecting threatened species like the white-bellied frog is crucial to preserving our unique biodiversity.
“The white-bellied frog is confined to only a few locations in a very small pocket of the South-West, so it is critical that as a government, we do what we can to protect its habitat and increase the size of its population.
“This is a great example of a positive conservation outcome from working together.”
As stated by Warren-Blackwood MLA Jane Kelsbie:
“The Warren-Blackwood region is home to many of the State’s threatened species, including the critically endangered white-bellied frog which only exists in a few wetlands in the Karridale-Witchcliffe area.
“This program is helping preserve this rare local species and protect it from extinction, along with measures such as fire management, fencing and feral animal control.”
