By Salma El-Sakka
Fifty-three southern giant burrowing frogs have been released back into their native habitat in a remote part of East Gippsland, more than five years after tadpoles were rescued from the ashes of the 2019-20 Black Summer bushfires.
Rescue and captive breeding
Scientists collected about 160 tadpoles from puddles in East Gippsland after the fires tore through the region. The tadpoles were transported to Melbourne Zoo, where they were raised through metamorphosis and successfully bred in captivity for the first time last year.
Return to the wild
The released frogs, all males now about five years old, were set free at sites that had received 80 to 100 millimetres of rain following recent thunderstorms. Each frog was tagged before release, and acoustic monitors have been installed to detect their calls.
Biology and behaviour
Herpetologist Matt Clancy of Snowline Ecology said the frogs grow to roughly the size of a cricket ball and can live over 20 years. They spend much of their time buried in sandy soils, emerging only after heavy rains to breed in ephemeral creeks and ponds.
Genetic management
Ryan Moes, a specialist amphibian keeper at Zoos Victoria, said genetic testing was conducted on all original tadpoles to avoid inbreeding. The breeding program aims to ensure wild populations remain healthy and robust, with future tadpole collections possible.
Ongoing threats
The southern giant burrowing frog was recognised as a distinct subspecies in 2021. Only five breeding sites are known in Victoria, and the species faces existential threats from more frequent and severe bushfires, droughts, and reduced rainfall driven by climate change.
