Today - 3 March - is World Wildlife Day!
To celebrate, we’d like to introduce Freddo, one of our resident Tasmanian Tree Frogs. Freddo was excited to hear that his brand new aquarium arrived this week, ready to be fitted into the bigger facilities being built for him and his froggy friends.
Freddo, one of our Tasmanian Tree Frogs.
Many visitors to Bonorong may not know that we have frogs onsite, as they are kept off-display in a specially-designed quarantine facility. The species is highly susceptible to the fungal infection chytridiomycosis, which has caused the extinction or population decline of hundreds of frog species around the world.
With support from the Tasmanian Government and NRM South, Bonorong is keeping a small number of the frogs in captivity in an attempt to better understand the species. This knowledge will be crucial to saving the species if wild populations begin to fall.
We’re pretty excited to be involved in this work, and to see the new facilities begin to take shape. Especially exciting is the chance to share this unique Tasmanian species with our visitors – yes, some of our frogs will be going on display later in the year! Keep an eye out as you may just be lucky enough to come nose-to-nose through the glass.
In the meantime, what can you do to help our native frogs?
Plenty! Chytrid is spread through a variety of means, including the movement of infected frogs, tadpoles, mud and water. Here are some tips to help prevent the spread of chytrid:
Clean boots and camping equipment of soil and allow to dry completely before visiting remote areas.
Plan to wash and dry vehicles (including tyres) and equipment before entering dirt roads within areas that are reserved or largely free of human disturbance.
When disposing of water within a natural environment ensure you are as far as possible from creeks, rivers, ponds and lakes.
Never move frogs and tadpoles to new locations.
Never release frogs found in imported fresh produce (usually banana boxes) and nursery products.
