TAMPA, Fla. — A critically endangered species that has disappeared from the wild is getting a second chance at ZooTampa.
ZooTampa at Lowry Park announced the recent hatching of Panamanian golden frogs, a species that has been extinct in the wild since 2009.
Zoo officials said the frogs disappeared from the wild because of habitat loss and chytrid fungus, a deadly disease that has affected amphibians around the world.
The Panamanian golden frog was once a national symbol of Panama and is known for its bright yellow color and unique “waving” behavior used to communicate.
ZooTampa said the hatchlings are part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Species Survival Plan, a program designed to maintain healthy populations of endangered species in human care.
“Every hatching of this critically endangered species is meaningful because it represents hope for the future of Panamanian golden frogs,” Dan Costell, curator of herpetology at ZooTampa, said in a news release.
ZooTampa’s animal care team is closely monitoring the young frogs and maintaining specialized environmental conditions needed for their development.
The zoo said the hatching comes during an important time for the species.
Earlier this year, conservation partners in Panama released Panamanian golden frogs raised in human care into protected, closely monitored semi-wild habitats. Zoo officials said that effort is an important step toward learning how the species may one day return to its native range.
Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.