Five critically endangered species have been potentially saved from extinction by conservationists at a Sydney zoo.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
The Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Centre at Taronga Zoo, which officially opened on Wednesday, houses 42 different species of frogs, snakes, lizards and turtles in a climate-controlled three-storey building.
The centre represents a step forward for the zoo's Wild Futures project, aimed at future-proofing endangered Australian animals.
"We have conservation programs for seven species ... either extinct in the wild or critically endangered and right on the brink," unit manager Michael McFadden told AAP.
Five of these critically endangered animals - four frogs and one turtle - are on display for guests.
"The southern corroboree frog has less than 50 mature adults left in the wild. The northern corroboree frog is less than 1200," Mr McFadden said.
"The Booroolong frog got absolutely smashed by the drought of 2019-20 and dropped out of a lot of those river systems."
Reptiles and amphibians face mounting threats from climate change and loss of habitat, and are disappearing faster than scientists can study them.
The rate of potential extinction is 41 per cent for amphibians, 20 per cent for reptiles and as high as 61 per cent for turtle species.
The zoo has already begun reintroducing six of these species, and Mr McFadden holds hope for their long-term future.
"We can maintain the species without losing genetic diversity for 20 or 30 years minimum, if not a hundred years, to be able to breed those species for release into the wild," he said.
"And in this new facility, we'll be displaying three of those programs."
Alongside conventional exhibits, the centre will also feature viewing rooms where guests can watch the zoo's conservationists in action.
The final phase of the Wild Futures project will conclude after the zoo completes its wildlife hospital, to be built on the site of the discontinued Reptile World.
Australian Associated Press
