Endangered frog daddies transported 7,000 miles to ‘give birth’ to young

With the safe arrival of 33 froglets, Ben Tapley, curator of amphibians at London Zoo, said that this is a “landmark moment” in the species’ conservation.

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London (CNN) — Eleven endangered male frogs that traveled 7,000 miles (11,000 kilometers) in a bid to save their species from extinction have “given birth” to 33 froglets at London Zoo.

Originally from Parque Tantauco, a remote part of an island off the coast of Chile, the Darwin’s frog species is under such threat from a deadly fungus that the 11 males were brought by conservationists to the British zoo halfway across the world.

Uniquely among amphibians, male Darwin’s frogs carry their tiny tadpoles inside their vocal sacs to protect them until they metamorphose into froglets. The dad then spits out a succession of between three and seven froglets, according to National Geographic.

Even once fully grown, Darwin’s frogs are tiny, weighing less than two grams (0.07 ounces) and measuring less than three centimeters (1.18 inches), making it exceptionally difficult for conservationists to find them in the forest.

And although the dense, lush forests of Parque Tantauco once provided the perfect home for these frogs, the species has been decimated by the deadly chytrid fungus, which has affected amphibians across the world.

And so, in October 2024, conservationists decided to move 52 of the healthy frogs to London, where they could remain safe from the fungus and reproduce.

The frogs’ journey to London was long and complicated, involving a six-hour boat ride back to the mainland, a 15-hour drive to Chile’s capital, Santiago, and finally a 14-hour flight to Heathrow Airport, all in specially designed, climate-controlled boxes, London Zoo said in a statement released Monday.

With the safe arrival of 33 froglets, Ben Tapley, curator of amphibians at London Zoo, said that this is a “landmark moment” in the species’ conservation.

“The successful parent-rearing of these froglets is a powerful symbol of hope for the species, highlights what can be achieved when conservationists work together, and serves as a critical reminder of the role of our conservation zoo,” he said in a statement.

Eventually, conservationists hope that the population can be reintroduced back to Chile once the chytrid fungus has been brought under control.

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