For the first time in five years, northern corroboree frogs, a threatened species, have been detected in the Ginini Flats wetlands at the Namadgi National Park.
Once abundant, the frog was considered on the verge of extinction in the wild, due to disease, climate change, drought, fire, introduced animals, and weeds. It is confined to the high country of the ACT (almost entirely within the subalpine areas of Namadgi National Park) and adjacent NSW.
“Since 1986, the ACT Government has been keeping a close eye on our tiny, stripey friends, the northern corroboree frogs,” Rebecca Vassarotti, ACT Minister for the Environment, Parks and Land Management, said.
In 2003, a captive breeding population was established at Tidbinbilla to release the frogs into the wild, bolster wild populations, and develop resistance to disease amongst wild breeding populations.
Although the ACT Government had released frogs and eggs into the wild every year for more than a decade – and introduced them to a new site in 2022 – the frogs had not been seen in the wild since 2019, and it was believed there were fewer than 50 frogs remaining in the wild in the ACT.
“We were beginning to think all hope was lost, and that the species was close to extinction,” Ms Vassarotti said.
Earlier this year, ecologists discovered 16 male northern corroboree frogs calling at the Ginini Flats Wetland Complex Ramsar Site, and 21 frogs in a lower elevation site in Namadgi, where frogs and eggs had been released.
Ms Vassarotti said the rediscovery of the frogs demonstrates the success of the ACT Government’s breeding program for the endangered species, and lifts hopes of holding off their extinction.
“Australia is the extinction capital of the world. Way too often, climate change and human impact on the environment has resulted in us losing unique species permanently as they become extinct.
“I’ve been heartbroken to have to continue to list species as close to extinction…” – five species were added to the ACT Threatened Native Species last year – “so I’m really pleased to announce today that the ACT Government’s program to reintroduce northern corroboree frogs has been a massive success.
“The identification of new northern corroboree frogs across a range of sites restores my confidence that we can save this incredible frog that is so unique to our region.
“The success of our breeding program really emphasises to me the importance of protecting endangered wetlands, particularly those which our northern corroboree frogs like to call home.
“Every species large and small deserves our respect and protection, and I’m thrilled that we are one step closer to saving this beautiful frog.”
