Yosemite, CA– A decade-long conservation effort has led to the release of the 10,000th California red-legged frog in Yosemite National Park, marking a milestone in the recovery of the federally threatened species, once absent from Yosemite Valley for decades.
The recovery program is led by the National Park Service in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Yosemite Conservancy, and San Francisco Zoo & Gardens. They commemorated the achievement with the symbolic release of several zoo-reared frogs near Yosemite Falls, including the program’s 10,000th frog, nicknamed “Twain” in honor of Mark Twain and his story “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County.”
“This milestone reflects years of focused work to restore a species that plays an important role in the park’s ecosystem,” said Rob Grasso, aquatic ecologist at Yosemite National Park. He said invasive bullfrogs and past habitat conditions wiped out the species, but removal efforts and restoration work allowed recovery.
The program also relies on a San Francisco-based rearing facility, where frogs are raised from eggs before release into the park. Dr. Rochelle Stiles, director of field conservation at the San Francisco Zoo & Gardens, said every frog in the valley today traces back to the program’s efforts. Officials said about 830 juveniles will be released this year, continuing what they described as a long-term recovery effort driven by habitat restoration, invasive species removal, and coordinated federal and state work.
