The Guardian reported that 53 captive-raised Southern Giant Burrowing Frogs were released in eastern Victoria, adding to conservation efforts for a species the state lists as Critically Endangered.
The released frogs are males about five years old. The Guardian said they came from roughly 160 tadpoles collected from puddles in East Gippsland after the Black Summer bushfires and raised at Melbourne Zoo.
Zoos Victoria’s 2024–25 annual report says Melbourne Zoo specialists achieved the species’ first captive breeding. The milestone followed three years of research and animal care, the report says, and the program is intended to strengthen the zoo’s ability to breed genetically robust frogs for future releases.
The Guardian reported that the release followed major thunderstorms over several weeks. The sites had received 80–100 millimeters of rain. Zoos Victoria specialist amphibian keeper Ryan Moes told the outlet that the original tadpoles were genetically tested and some adults were not suitable for the breeding program. He said the screening helps avoid pairing siblings: “Within a breeding program, you don’t want to have all siblings breeding together.”
Each released frog was tagged, and song meters were installed at the sites to detect calls, The Guardian reported.
The Australian and Victorian governments said the Amphibian Bushfire Recovery Centre at Melbourne Zoo opened in 2022 with breeding habitats for the Southern Giant Burrowing Frog. Their announcement also said more than 150 frogs raised from tadpoles had moved into the facility.
Victoria’s July 2026 threatened-species list classifies the Giant Burrowing Frog (Heleioporus australiacus) as Critically Endangered in the state. Zoos Victoria identifies logging, large bushfires and prolonged drought as habitat threats. It says chytridiomycosis is likely affecting populations and lists the number of frogs left in the wild as unknown.
